Reaching Out
by Arian04
Summary: Someone reaches out to Mac and Harm from beyond the grave, but ends up giving them both a Halloween they'll never forget. Final chapter is now up, thanks for the GREAT reviews everyone!
1. Default Chapter

Title: Reaching Out – Chapter One  
Author: Arian  
Summary: There was simply no way I could celebrate Halloween without my favorite duo!  
Rating: PG for the moment, who knows where it will take me!  
Disclaimer: Oh don't I wish they were mine, but alas it is not so.

A/N: This is a Season 10 story, aka post-AWNBG, and any past and potentially future episodes are fair game. Cresswell will have a fairly minor part in the story as I haven't seen enough of him to formulate a response. The story is also not completely finished, though many of the scenes have already played out in my head. However, as today is Halloween I wanted to start posting it. I appreciate feedback, and it really does help me be inspired to put the work necessary into writing, but would prefer truly angry or inappropriately critical comments to be emailed and kept off the board.

* * *

Mac's Apartment  
Georgetown  
0330 EST

"Who's there?" A shiver raced up Mac's spine, momentarily making her want to pull the covers up over her head and cringe back into sleep. Her bedroom felt suspiciously cold, and as she searched her memory and the room she couldn't put a finger on what had awakened her. The little light coming through the blinds cast eerie shadows about the room which before she had thought of as comforting. Now the dark spaces had become places for an intruder to crouch, waiting until her guard was once again down.

Getting a grip on herself, she flicked the bedside light on. Glancing around the room and seeing no one, she laughed at herself. "Okay MacKenzie, no more scary movies before bed!" Just in case, she got out of bed, crossed the room and firmly shut the door. She even went over and closed the door to the bathroom. Now amused with the situation, she decided to even check the closet and under the bed. "See, no monsters, ghosts or stalkers in here!" she declared aloud. Snickering a little at herself, she slipped back into bed and turned out the light.

* * *

0417 EST

_Mac felt warm and comfortable, with large arms wrapped around her, offering support and love. She was in a park filled with trees in their autumn finery, and the sun shone down through the drifting leaves. She sighed, feeling safe, and knew that there was nothing physical or spiritual that could harm her here. She felt so wonderful she thought maybe even her own self-destructive tendencies wouldn't prevail in this space. This was someplace she could rest. Really rest._

_However, after a while she began to feel chilly. The sun was slowly becoming paler, and the leaves, rather than softly drifting down to earth, now dropped swiftly under a strong wind and crackled against the ground. Not wanting to let go of the peaceful place, Mac hugged the arms around her, seeking comfort. They tightened on her, but it didn't make her feel any better. They didn't go so far as to restrain her, but held her in place purposefully. As the wind continued to pick up, her point of view shifted, panning across the once beautiful park and focusing on the street bordering the park._

_The sun was now covered by the clouds, and the wind spun leaves into her face. Before her eyes a young petty officer stepped out of an alley along the street. Her face was pale, and there was blood on her uniform. She reached out to Mac, and then disappeared. The arms about Mac were suddenly gone and she began to fall._

Sitting up in bed gasping, Mac shuddered from the dream. Damn nightmares.

Her bedroom was still unusually cold, and she thought about turning on the heat. It was only then she noticed her bedroom window was open, the sheer drapes blowing softly in the wind. Getting up to close the window, she neglected to turn on the light. Just as the window slid closed, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. A sense of dread overcame her, and she slowly turned to once again search the room.

Was that someone in the corner? She heard a whisper of fabric, and saw a glimmer of light just before her seeking hand found the pull cord of the blinds and flashed them open. There was nothing in the corner.

* * *

JAG Headquarters  
0745 EST

Harm whistled softly as he got off the elevator and made his way through the bullpen. Glancing towards Coats desk he noticed she was not yet in, but there was light under the door of the Admiral's office. Thinking that was odd, he considered checking out and then decided against it. Sturgis was probably just in early polishing his name plate. A snort interrupted his whistling, and then a chuckle at his own version of a joke. Tucking his cover under his arm, he started down the hallway toward his office, until he noticed there was also faint light coming through the blinds to Mac's office. 'Even for Mac this is early.'

He didn't get a response to his first knock, but at the second the door flew open to reveal a startled looking Mac.

"Hi?"

"Harm?" She looked confused. Well maybe it wasn't the norm for him to be at work quite this early, but he didn't consider it shocking by any means.

"Yes. Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. Nice to meet you." He quipped with a smile.

"Oh sorry." Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, Mac turned and walked back toward her desk, leaving the door open. He decided to take that as an invitation, and followed her into the space. Something wasn't right here, and while he was trying to be supportive without prying, her behavior was unsettling.

"Uh Mac, you okay?"

"Sure, why?" She still seemed distracted, scanning the room quickly before sitting back down in the chair she had recently vacated.

"Well let's see, because you look like hell." His abrupt comment had the desired effect as Mac snapped out of it and glared at him. "Good morning to you too sunshine."

At that she smirked a little and shook her head. "Good morning. Yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Anything I should know about?" He constantly worried about her health, mood and general happiness, but kept this under wraps by asking the question with a bland expression. He had learned not to push by her reaction to their last talk about her "condition," but the dark circles under her eyes concerned him.

"Oh, it's nothing about that. Things seem to be fine. I just didn't sleep well last night." After the strange dream about the park, she had been unable to go back to sleep. While normally she would have gone for a run, the idea of going through the park in the dark this morning hadn't particularly appealed to her. God, she was being such a goof. Instead she had come in to work and started going through paperwork. Rumors of the new CO's appearance were swirling thickly, and she wanted to be ready.

"Sorry to hear that. I heard chamomile tea helps with some chemical in your brain that makes sleeping easier. It was on the news or something." Satisfied that she really was only tired, and maybe a bit stressed about the rumor that Cresswell had made it through the formal hearing with his blunt honesty, he smiled. "Why don't we get you some at lunch?"

"So then I can take a nap on my desk?" Mac laughed, comforted by his concern. His smile seemed to warm up the room, and the specters of fear from the previous night slipped away. "Why don't we skip the tea, but keep the lunch?"

Harm pulled his cover from under her arm and pointed it at her. "You're on. See you then." Smiling one last time before pulling the door closed, he was stopped by her voice.

"Harm, you can leave it open. I'm just going to work on paperwork." Smiling back, she proved it by picking up her pencil and pulling a file folder towards her. Harm smiled at the picture, because she already had another pencil tucked into her hair. She had apparently been there for quite a while.

* * *

Outside JAG Headquarters  
1217 EST

Harm crunched on his Caesar salad while admiring the way the sun caught on her hair. While she had looked tense and drawn that morning, apparently she was feeling better and the color had returned to her face. She leaned back in the wrought iron chair with her eyes closed, face upturned to catch the sun.

"Ahhh, it's such a beautiful day. It seems like such a long time since we've seen the sun." Mac felt wonderfully warm sitting in the bright sunshine on the patio. She pushed away a comparison to the mirrored feeling of her dream, intent on enjoying her time outside. She opened her eyes to find Harm staring at her, but he only smiled softly.

"Yeah, it's nice to get outside. Especially with how stifling the office feels lately. Or maybe I should say stiff necked, uncompromising, and huffy." He grinned at his own joke, and the smile widened at Mac's admonishing look.

"Harm, I know Sturgis's behavior gets to you, but you're being a little childish about all of this. He's just trying to temporarily fill very very big shoes. I'll bet he never thought he'd have to be in charge of you, and that is a little daunting." While she could find amusement in Harms snarky comments about their temporary CO, she didn't want this to ruin the two men's friendship.

"You're probably right. At least he did send us on a real investigation, even though it didn't really need both of us." He had hated the paperwork they had been shuffling for months. And while he was glad for the opportunity to get out of the office, and even more so with Mac, there really hadn't been a need for both of them to travel for the case.

Mac laughed. "Harm, don't you realize what he's doing?" At his confused look, she chuckled again and continued. "Sturgis comes in as CO, immediately puts us all on paperwork duty, and then when he has to send you somewhere, he sends me along with you." She raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to draw his own conclusion.

Harm frowned. "Mac you were there for the investigation, not to be my babysitter."

"I know, but you're right, it didn't really need both of us. I think Sturgis is completely terrified that you'll get yourself into trouble on his watch, so he's keeping you as safe and out of danger as possible." Mac laughed at the chagrin on Harm's face, and watched as his expression changed to one of devilish amusement.

"Apparently he doesn't realize that sending you along with me on ANY investigation tempts trouble." He lightly flirted, remembering her worry that they would be split up by the Admiral's replacement.

"Oh?" Rather than avoiding the flirt, she lifted one eyebrow before taking a bit of her sandwich.

"Of course. Almost every single time I've gotten into any real "trouble" you've been linked somehow. And all of my recent aviation "mishaps" have included you. Apparently he just wasn't thinking." Harm chuckled, and then looked up at her when she didn't respond.

Mac had half risen from her seat, braced on the arms of the chair. She was staring out across the patio in the general direction a nearby street. Her face was completely white.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Reaching Out - Chapter 2

Author: Arian

Summary: There was simply no way I could celebrate Halloween without my favorite duo!

Disclaimer: Oh don't I wish they were mine, but alas it is not so.

A/N: See Chapter 1.

A/N2: Thanks to froggy0319, NavyCB, Maria, and aserene for the great reviews. They keep me writing when it's like pulling teeth.

* * *

JAG Headquarters  
1230 EST

Harm herded Mac back into her office. She had hardly spoken a word since her behavior on the patio, and currently seemed preoccupied and nervous.

Closing the door behind him, he decided to hit this head on. "Okay Mac, what's going on?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice, focused her attention on him, and then shook her head. "Harm, really, it's nothing. I've just been watching too many Halloween movies."

"What just happened out there wasn't just some jumpiness from watching Psycho too much. You're too rational for that." Rather than restating his original question, he simply sat down to let her know he wasn't leaving. She had had random bouts of paranoia since her confrontation with Sadik last winter, but this didn't feel the same.

"Really, it's nothing." At his continued silence, she frowned. "I just had a dream last night, and it started off really nice. Then all of the sudden it became threatening and I... I saw this woman."

"And?"

"And she had blood on her and reached out to me. It was just a nightmare."

"What about just now?" Harm had learned in the past not to brush off Mac's nightmares as only that.

"I just thought I saw her again. It's just Halloween jitters." Mac threw her hands up in frustration, but at the same time was glad she had told someone about it. Harm could shake some sense into her and she could stop being all paranoid.

"What did you see? Someone that looked like her passing on the street?"

Mac felt a chill run up her spine. If it had only been that, maybe she wouldn't be so jumpy. "No, she was standing there again, with her hand out to me. She didn't move, other than to lift her arm. Seriously, Harm, I'm sure it's nothing."

Satisfied that this didn't seem to be linked to any after effects from the head games Sadik had played on them, he decided to let it go. "Alright, well, no more scary movies for you! What say I bring over something a little lighter tonight and we get this out of your head?"

While previously she might have objected, she didn't really want to be alone in her apartment with all of the morbid movies being shown on TV. She had a penchant for edge-of-your-seat thrillers, and it apparently was ratcheting her level of awareness up too high. Plus an evening watching a movie with Harm wouldn't be a bad thing. "Ok, but don't bring anything too stupid. I still haven't forgotten about that movie with the two guys that were supposed to be Siamese twins."

"Hey, I apologized for that. Is 0730 ok? Want me to pick something up for dinner?"

"Sure." Normally she would have negotiated where to get dinner from, but without even realizing it she was beginning to trust his decisions and didn't even think to question him.

"Alright, well I'm in court this afternoon, so I'll see you tonight." With a smile he ducked out of her office, once again whistling under his breath.

* * *

Mac's Apartment  
Georgetown  
2254

"That scene with the fountain and all of their silhouettes was just beautiful. So classic; I wonder if it was in the original movie." Mac sat back against the couch, enjoying the last remnants of the evening.

"I'm not really sure. We could probably get the original movie sometime; I thought this might be good because Ocean's Twelve is coming out soon. Maybe we can go see it in a real theater." Harm smiled, completely at ease. He and Mac had enjoyed a restful evening complete with takeout Moroccan food from a new place on his way over, and Harm had fulfilled his promise of a non-scary movie by bringing over the amusing and well reviewed "Ocean's Eleven."

They were suddenly startled by the ringing of Harm's cell phone. He quickly answered, "Rabb."

Mac didn't want to eavesdrop on his conversation, so she picked up their coffee cups (her's filled with a new chamomile tea Harm had brought with him) and took them into the kitchen.

"What? Are you ok?" Mac was surprised at the shock in his voice, and the level of worry. He had risen from the couch and was now pacing in front of the coffee table.

"Sure, I'll be home soon, I'll come right over. Have her stay there until I get home, then I'll drive her." Harm snapped the phone shut, and the turned to Mac. "That was Mattie. Coates just got a call that a friend of hers may have been killed. The woman didn't have any family in the area, and Jen has been asked to come in and identify the body. I'm going to head home, pick her up and take her to the station."

"Do you want company?" Mac knew it was late, but she didn't think she'd get much sleep with this ominous ending to their evening.

"It might be a good idea; maybe you could stay with Mattie while I take Jen?" Harm was collecting his jacket and grabbed Mac's while he was at it.

"Sure thing, whatever she needs." With that Mac grabbed her purse and they walked out of the apartment.

* * *

Mattie and Jen's Apartment  
North of Union Station  
2335 EST

Mattie sat on the couch randomly watching the television. Harm and Jen had left as soon as he had arrived, and they hadn't heard anything yet. Jen had been beside herself, crying and worrying, which had prompted Mattie to call for reinforcements. Now Mac sat with her, sipping a cup of tea.

"This has just come across the news desk. The station has recently received word that the body of a young female Navy petty officer was discovered this evening in an alley near Potomac Park. The identity of the victim has not yet been released, pending positive identification and the notification of family members. Anyone having information is asked to please come forward to the police." Mattie blinked at the TV, thinking about Jen down at the police station, at this moment possibly looking at the body of her dead friend. It hit a little close to home and a few tears fell down her cheek.

Mac looked over at Mattie sensing her reaction to the news story. She knew it was one of those moments when words weren't necessary, and simply opened her arms to the young woman. Mattie almost hesitantly crept to her end of the couch and let Mac hug her. After a while Mattie pulled back a bit, and started to look embarrassed. "Hey, sorry, I'm just being..."

"Don't say silly. You're allowed to be upset too. Do you want to talk, or go to bed?" Mac was planning on waiting up for Harm and Jen to get home, but there was no reason Mattie had to do the same.

"I don't think I could sleep. I just keep thinking about Jen. She's been upset because I'm spending more time with my dad, and now this. I don't think she knew Stacey that well, but they hang out with the same group of friends. I think they might be in the same psychology class or something. There's probably a picture around somewhere." Mattie stood up and began looking around the room as a sense of apprehension settled over Mac. i What if... /i

"Here it is. Stacey's that blonde in the front. I just hope it's not her." Mac looked warily at the photo and let out a breath when she didn't recognize the young woman in the picture. She had been worried Stacey would be the petty officer in her dreams, but that woman had been a brunette, and Stacey was very definitely fair haired.

At just that moment they could hear sounds out in the hallway. Mattie rushed to put the picture back just before Harm and Jen came through the door. Mac had hoped the fact she didn't recognize Stacey would mean Jen's friend would be safe, that there was a mistake. One look at her face however told Mac a different story.

The young woman's eyes and nose were red from crying, and Harm had a resigned look on his face. Jen to one look at Mattie and broke down again. "It was her. She's dead. Someone slit her throat and left her in that alley. Who would do this???"

Mattie rushed to her friend to hug her and guided her into her bedroom. Harm gazed at Mac quietly across the room, silently dejected. He never wanted anyone to have to go through this. Just as silently, and without any of the hesitation which had plagued her for the last year and a half, Mac crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. "Is she going to be okay?"

Resting his chin on her head, he quietly said "I'm sure she will. Eventually. I don't think they were that close, but it's still a shock. I'm sure she'll need people around for the next few days." He pulled out of her hug, and looked into her eyes. "Your dream, what if it..."

Mac shook her head. "It's not. Mattie showed me a picture." Harm sighed as Mattie rejoined them.

"Jen's just going to go to sleep now I think. I'm getting pretty tired too. Thank you for coming over and driving her, I could have done it but Harm would have gone ballistic on me later." She grinned, still the precocious teen even under these conditions.

"Okay kiddo, you call me if you need anything. I'll be right next door." Grabbing their coats, Harm opened the door and watched as Mac gave her another hug.

"Me too Mattie, if you need me for anything just call."

"Thanks Mac, will do. Have a good night." Mattie closed the door behind them, and suddenly the night came crashing down on Harm. His shoulders slumped for a moment, and then he pulled himself back up.

"Well let's get you home, it's late and we've got work tomorrow." Mac could she he was tired, and the events of the night were draining him even further.

"If you don't mind, can I just crash on your couch? Then if you just swing me by my place in the morning we won't waste too much time." She wasn't really worried about time, but she didn't want Harm having to drive her all the way home and then drive back by himself. She could see he wasn't convinced, probably understanding why she made the suggestion. "Harm, I didn't sleep last night, I don't really want to spend tonight alone. Maybe just having someone in the next room will keep the nightmares away. Please?"

"If that's really what you want Mac. Come on." He unlocked his apartment, and hung his jacket on the hook by the door. Mac carefully put her things on the table next to it, as Harm shuffled across the room. "Mac you take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch."

"I don't think so. Your apartment, your bed, you sleep there. I will be perfectly fine on the couch mister. Besides, I actually fit on the couch, unlike yourself." She flashed him a mischievous grin, hoping to lighten his mood.

Obviously preoccupied, he mumbled, "Okay Mac, whatever you want" and shuffled up the stairs into his bedroom. She heard him moving around, brushing his teeth in the bathroom and then turning off the light. At that she moved to the edge of the stairs. "Harm?" she asked softly. When she didn't get a response, she climbed the stairs and looked into his room. He was already in bed, and apparently asleep. She slipped past him and into the bathroom to wash her face. Coming back out, she studied the way the moonlight poured through the window of the bathroom to spill across his bed. Concerned about his out of character behavior, she silently turned and made her way out to the couch.

TBC

* * *

_Next chapter, on JAG..._

_"Harm. It's Mac, I need you to wake up and open your eyes. Don't move, just open your eyes."_

_

* * *

_

_Both of them released the breath they hadn't realized they were holding. Getting her apprehension under control, Mac shifted her arm and pinched Harm._

_"Ouch!"_

_"Okay, we've established we're both awake. Now what the hell is going on?"_

_Harm raised an eyebrow. "Someone at NCIS invited us down to a crime scene?" he asked, unable to believe it._

_"Yeah well, he sounds new. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Do you have time to go?"_


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Reaching Out – Chapter 3  
Author: Arian  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Harm and Mac have to face their fears when a murder case starts to hit a little too close to home.  
Disclaimer: Oh don't I wish they were mine, but alas it is not so. There is also a passing reference to NCIS characters in this chapter, and I don't own them either. sigh

A/N: See Chapter 1. Thank you for the great reviews, I'm off to kick my muse in the butt and get working on some more of this. Special thanks to froggy0319 (hope you like these teasers too, keep the speculation coming :), NavyCB, Maria, Jackia, Little Eirtae, and aserene (girl, definately read this one in a well lit room!)

* * *

Harm's Apartment  
North of Union Station  
0307 EST

Mac awoke to darkness. Confused as to what had disturbed her sleep, she was about to drift off again when she heard a moan. It was just a faint sound, followed by a rustle of fabric, but enough to make her sit up. The room was completely dark, and she strained to locate the source of the sound.

Hearing nothing further, she snuggled down into the several blankets she had pulled from the closet. Harm was notorious for keeping his place chilly, and she liked to be warm at night. Curling her toes into her cocoon, suddenly she heard a gasp and movement in Harm's room. She bolted off the couch and not caring if she made noise ran to the doorway.

Harm was sitting straight up in bed, the sheets pooled around his waist. His face was completely drained of color, and he stared at Mac. Breathing heavily, he radiated confusion and fear. "Harm?"

"Mac? What, who?" He shook his head to clear the cobwebs out of it, and Mac stepped into the room and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Are you ok?"

Harm blinked a few times, and then refocused on her face. "Yeah, just a bad dream I guess. Sorry about that." His pulse was still racing, but the solid feel of the bed beneath him and the warmth of Mac sitting next to him were slowly pushing away the dreadful feel of falling.

"It's ok. Want to talk about it?" Mac was surprised, Harm almost always slept like a rock. His tousled hair and the distressed expression on his face made him completely adorable, 'Just keep focusing on him being adorable and not on all of that bare skin above his waistband MacKenzie!' she reprimanded herself.

He furrowed his forehead, as if searching back to find the beginning of the dream. "I think it was a lot like the one you told me about. I was outside on a street, just walking and looking at the leaves. It was sunny out, and I felt completely at ease." Harm didn't feel it necessary to tell her he had also felt as though he was holding someone's hand, and how much that contributed to the dream's euphoric feeling. "Then the sun went away, and the wind started to blow like hell. I saw Stacey come out of an alley ahead of me and turn. She had blood all over her and beckoned to me. I tried to follow, but then everything disappeared and I felt like I was falling." He shuddered at the memory of that last part. Falling was never a good feeling for a pilot.

Mac reached up and rubbed his arm. "You're right. It sounds very similar. I'm sure it's just because I told you about mine, and then having to go with Jenn tonight probably fed into it. You were really quiet when you got home."

"Yeah, that must be it. Sorry I woke you up." Mac only smiled and got up from the edge of the bed. The sudden loss of the warmth from her hand on him arm made Harm shudder again, the room seemed so cold. "Hey Mac?"

She turned back to him, halting her progress toward the doorway. "Yeah?"

"Umm, ah, never mind." He didn't want to look like a four year old afraid to sleep alone after a bad dream.

Somehow, she picked up on it. Remembering her fear and sense of loss from the night before, she shook her head. "Would it be okay if I came in here to sleep?"

Relief washed over his face. "You shouldn't have to sleep on the couch. Go grab your pillow. And the eight blankets you probably have out there." He smiled at her understanding, and she smiled at how well he knew her.

After getting settled next to him, she decided to ask him about his earlier behavior. "Harm, are you ok about tonight? I mean, you were a little shaken up when we left Jenn and Mattie's."

He sighed. "Yeah, it was just seeing Stacey there; she was so young, somewhere between Jenn's age and Mattie's. It just got me thinking like a dad, and it scared the hell out of me. I tried to help Jenn, but all I could think was I'm glad it wasn't her on that table. Sorry for leaving you to fend for yourself, I honestly can't remember much after coming through the door."

"Don't worry about it. I know my way around here." She smoothed his hair back from his forehead. "Just get some sleep." Assured her friend was okay, Mac closed her eyes, and now feeling completely warm quickly feel back to sleep.

* * *

0417 EST

Mac slowly opened her eyes. The very tip of her nose was freezing. Silently cursing Harm for being such a polar bear, she quickly glanced at her partner and saw goose bumps run over his skin. One of her blankets had made its way over the bottom half of him, but his chest was still exposed to the freezing air. Shifting her arm to pull the blanket up for him, she froze as a chill made her cringe. A chill that had nothing to do with the cold temperature, but everything to do with the hair that was once again standing up on the back of her neck. Slowly lowering her arm to lie across his stomach, she scanned the room with her peripheral vision. Not daring to turn her head, she could barely see and sense someone standing in the doorway.

Keeping her voice pitched low, she leaned into Harm's shoulder. "Harm. It's Mac, I need you to wake up and open your eyes. Don't move, just open your eyes." She pushed her chin into the hollow in his shoulder to keep him from moving.

Harm was confused by her request, wondering suddenly if they were in danger. With his eyes closed he shifted them towards the sound of her voice and then opened them. His senses were immediately assaulted with the feel of her arm across his midsection, her closeness, and how amazing she looked in the dim light. He momentarily forgot her strange request.

Mac however had not. "I don't want to move. Can you see anything near the stairs without moving?"

Harm shifted his focus from Mac's face to the doorway beyond her. Immediately every hair on his body tried to jump off his skin. Standing there patiently was a beautiful blonde woman. Recognition struck like an eighteen wheeler and he realized that for some reason, Petty Officer Stacey Holmes was watching them. His eyes connected with hers and he felt waves of sorrow and pain radiating from her.

"Mac. It's her." She didn't need to ask Harm who he meant. Slowly turning her head to avoid startling the woman, her head finally made it around far enough for her to focus on their visitor. Almost instantly the woman raised her arm in silent appeal, held her hand out to them. And just as quickly she vanished.

Both of them released the breath they hadn't realized they were holding. Getting her apprehension under control, Mac shifted her arm and pinched Harm.

"Ouch!"

"Okay, we've established we're both awake. Now what the hell is going on?"

* * *

JAG Headquarters  
0936 EST

Harm knocked on Mac's doorframe and when she looked up he stepped into the room. Neither had been able to sleep following the disappearance of their ghostly visitor, and after Harm showered and put on his uniform, they had driven over to Mac's apartment for her to do the same. By the time they had come in to work it had been established that neither of them was crazy, this was more than just a dream, and they needed to get some answers. Mac had offered to call NCIS, as they were not exactly Harm's favorite people, while he pulled background research on Petty Officer Holmes.

He offered her the manila folder in his hands. "Nothing out of place. Enlisted out of high school, no dings on the record. No close family either, just a couple of cousins out in Nebraska."

"Well let's see what NCIS can tell us; I got a hold of an Agent McGee and after establishing how we know the victim he invited us down to the crime scene they're working on."

Harm raised an eyebrow. "Someone at NCIS invited us down to a crime scene?" he asked, unable to believe it.

"Yeah well, he sounds new. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Do you have time to go?"

"Let's just stop by and ask his highness if we can look into this." He smirked all the way to Coates desk, where they were puzzled to find Sturgis sitting in her chair.

"Commander Turner?" In the first place Harm was confused as to why Jenn was not there, and in the second why Sturgis would be sitting in her place.

"Commander, Colonel. Is there something I can do for you?" Unruffled as always, Sturgis glanced up at the two officers before putting the file he had been studying down on the desktop.

Mac decided it would be best to avoid any snarkiness on Harm's part. "Commander, we have been invited down to an NCIS crime scene and wanted to clear it with you."

"I didn't realize you were on any active cases Colonel?" Sturgis had a solid feeling about what the two lead attorneys were interested in investigating, but with the new CO taking command any day now, he was not enthused about letting them get involved with anything.

"Not yet Commander." Mac completely understood the difficult position Sturgis was in, but he didn't need to be so condescending.

Steepling his fingers in a gesture reminiscent of their previous commanding officer, Sturgis considered the situation. Coates had reported for duty earlier that morning, and he had immediately relented to her request for personal leave. Knowing that no matter what he decided the two officers in front of him would find a way to get answers, he made his choice.

"Do what you need to do."

TBC

* * *

Next Chapter, on JAG...

_"It is fall Commander. The body was found under some leaves that had blown in here. A store clerk bringing out the trash noticed her hand sticking out from under the pile." McGee passed them a few preliminary crime scene photos._

_Mac sucked in her breath at what they depicted. A slender white arm reached out from under the leaves, and it reminded her of the silent pleas of both the woman in her dream and the apparition of Stacey from the night before._

* * *

_Harm was silent until they returned to the SUV. "Okay Mac, what are you thinking?" She had been thinking so hard he could swear he smelled smoke._

_"I don't know. That she was too young for this to happen. That there is someone out there who grabbed her, dragged her into the darkness and splashed her life all over the walls. That her body was reaching out to be found before she ever came to us. Murders happen all the time, why is this one haunting us?"_


	4. Chapter 4

Reaching Out - Chapter 4  
Author: Arian  
Rating: PG-13 due to crime scene details  
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1

A/N: This and following chapters will have crossovers with NCIS, as JAG has been doing less and less with crime scenes. I don't proclaim to be an NCIS expert, so please excuse any random mistakes I may make. I also don't own any part of NCIS, and am only shamelessly borrowing its characters for the purpose of my own ravings.

A/N2: The new places described in this story are real. I have tried to make it as real as possible, and while I spent some time checking my facts, I haven't been to DC in a while, so forgive any inaccuracies. I hope it helps the story along.

A/N3: This may be the last chapter I post until Sunday night or Monday, as I will be away this weekend. But hey, at least there's a new JAG on tomorrow night! And this chapter is just a wee bit longer to make up for the gap.

A/N4: Thank you so much for the great reviews. It really helps to have your work appreciated. Special thanks to froggy0319 (hope you're not reading this before bed), NavyCB, Maria, Jackia, Little Eirtae, aserene, Maidenpride21 (I didn't even think of that when writing this, but may encorporate it later), and Mari (thank you so much for the wonderful compliment!)

* * *

October 28 2004  
Near West Potomac Park  
1017 EST 

Mac sat silently in the front seat of the Lexus as Harm navigated toward the crime scene. She was watching the surroundings with an intensity that surprised Harm, and seemed to hold her breath at every corner. Finally pulling onto the street NCIS had directed them to, his breath caught in his throat. Parking the vehicle quickly, Harm exited, came around and immediately stared up the sidewalk. They were half a block from an alley, and he found himself standing in almost the exact setting of his dream.

"Harm?" Mac wrinkled her forehead in concern.

"This is what I saw. This is where I was, and she was up there." He stated quietly. Mac put a hand on his arm and they started up the street. Coming to the corner of a small alley, Mac noticed the crime scene tape and several agents further down the gap between two buildings. Several had cameras and there were numerous yellow numbers scattered about the area.

"Can I help you?" An attractive brunette woman came up to them, obviously confused as to their reason for being there.

"Lt. Colonel MacKenzie, Commander Rabb, JAG Corps. An agent McGee invited us to stop by."

Agent Kate Todd raised her eyebrows at them. "He did, did he? And may I ask how that happened?" The officers' names had sparked a memory; DiNozzo had mentioned Rabb's name in connection with a case before she came on board at NCIS. Something about not asking Gibbs about him. Ever.

"I understand this is where Petty Officer Stacey Holmes' body was found yesterday. I escorted a junior member of our staff to identify the body last night.' Harm was slightly relieved that he couldn't identify anyone rummaging about the scene. All of this was more than a little creepy, and it was throwing him off balance. He didn't want to run into Gibbs with anything less than a fully functioning sense of logic.

Kate was about to speak again when McGee came up to the small group. "Commander, Colonel. Nice to meet you. I'm Special Agent McGee, and I see you've already met Special Agent Todd."

Mac let a smile slip through before hiding it well. This guy was definitely a newbie. Just the way he said 'special agent' spoke volumes, and the annoyed look Agent Todd threw him suggested McGee had yet to learn all of the rules of engagement. "Thank you for inviting us down Agent McGee. We're here unofficially, but that could change later on depending on the outcome of your investigation. I realize that could create an interesting situation, so please only disclose what you're comfortable with." The least Mac could do was cut the kid a break and give him a few hints as to how things should be done.

"Yes ma'am."

"McGee, can I speak with you for a moment? If you'll excuse us." Agent Todd had an iron grip on the young man's arm and was obviously not happy with the situation. After a quick conference a few steps apart, she apparently relented, and turned back to Harm and Mac.

"Commander, Colonel, I'm not sure what details you already have, and of course you understand that nothing we discuss can be disclosed?"

"Of course Agent Todd. The only specifics we currently have are that Petty Officer Holmes was killed and found here. Her identity was confirmed by Petty Officer Jennifer Coates last night." Harm used every ounce of lawyer facade he had in him to keep the emotions that evoked in him under the surface.

Kate began walking down the alleyway, in the direction of several busy agents. "The petty officer was lying against that wall over there. Her throat had been slit and early indications lean towards her being found within 48 hours of her death."

"Why such a large time frame?" The West Potomac Park area included most of the major Washington monuments, but also several blocks of businesses and governmental offices. Of all the areas in Washington it had to be one of the most highly patrolled.

"Forensic evidence indicates she wasn't here any longer than that. We also have several witnesses that claim to have seen her two days ago at a class session."

Harm was also puzzled. "While we are in an alley, it isn't particularly secluded." Several of the bordering buildings had rear and side doors leading onto the small street. "How could she have been dead for two days and no one knew?"

Kate bristled at the implication her evidence wasn't complete. Who the hell were these two lawyers to come down to her crime scene and begin questioning their methods? Unfortunately for him, McGee cut into the conversation before she could respond.

"It is fall Commander. The body was found under some leaves that had blown in here. A store clerk bringing out the trash noticed her hand sticking out from under the pile." McGee passed them a few preliminary crime scene photos.

Mac sucked in her breath at what they depicted. A slender white arm reached out from under the leaves, and it reminded her of the silent plea of the woman in her dream and the apparition of Stacey from the night before. Other photos showed the body from different angles, the woman's purse and cover lying on the ground, the contents of the purse, and finally several shots of the walls of the alley. She silently handed them over to Harm, and after looking at Agent Todd for permission stepped further into the crime scene. "She was killed here. This wasn't a dump."

Kate wasn't exactly impressed by her assessment, any beginner could tell that, but she did soften a little towards the other woman. "Yes. Arterial spray on the walls indicates she was facing the street when her assailant killed her. Scuff marks on the ground show us that she was dragged down here almost all the way from the street, and in several spots they are interrupted, telling us that she kicked and struggled." Glaring at McGee to keep his mouth shut, Kate walked over to where Mac was examining the floor of the alley. "Colonel, this is a bit unusual, you and the Commander coming down here. Can I ask why you've taken an interest?"

Mac looked up at her weighing her options, and decided there was nothing to lose. "Petty Officer Coates is a personal friend, and was particularly shaken by the death of her classmate. They were taking an evening psychology class together, and Coates was asked to identify the body. We were hoping to find some closure for her, but this scene would only make her feel worse I'm afraid."

Agent Todd seemed to accept the explanation, and stepped back. "If you would like I can make sure you see a copy of our report when it is filed, baring any difficulties." She held out her hand to Mac, and Mac returned the handshake.

"Thank you Agent Todd, we'd appreciate that. Agent McGee." She nodded to the younger man, and then motioned for Harm to precede her out of the area.

Harm was silent until they returned to the SUV. "Okay Mac, what are you thinking?" She had been concentrating so hard he could swear he smelled smoke.

"I don't know. That she was too young for this to happen. That there is someone out there who grabbed her, dragged her into the darkness and splashed her lift all over the walls. That her body was reaching out to be found before she ever came to us. Murders happen all the time, why is this one haunting us?"

"Did you recognize anything from the scene? The area?" Harm put the Lexus in drive and pulled away from the curb, making his way back toward the office.

"No. Nothing. We seem to have had different dreams, with different women, only yours is true and mine isn't. I just don't understand." Mac had half feared her dream would have been another vision, but apparently her gift had rubbed off on Harm.

"Well, I guess we just have to wait for their report. Maybe Petty Officer Holmes just wanted to make sure someone was paying attention to her." Mac frowned at his suggestion, but couldn't come up with anything else that would connect them to the woman.

* * *

JAG Headquarters  
1630 EST 

"Ma'am?" Coates peeked her head inside Mac's door, looking pale but composed.

"Coates, please come in." Mac put aside the folder containing information on the young woman's friend. After returning from the crime scene, she and Harm had decided to just let it go. Something still bothered her about the case however, and she kept returning to the facts, hoping to find something that would indicate why the woman would have appeared to them the night before. "I didn't expect to see you in today."

"Yes, ma'am. Commander Turner let me take leave, but when I got home there was nothing I could do except think about it. I figured it was better to be at work, at least I'm useful here." There were dark circles under Jen's eyes, but a stiffness in her spine that spoke volumes about the woman's ability to bounce back and perform her duties.

"I can understand that. Was there something you needed?" Mac was a bit concerned that Coates would ask her to investigate her friend's murder, but what she told Mac was in fact much more disturbing.

"No ma'am. I just wanted to inform you that the new JAG has been confirmed. Major General Creswell will be officially assuming command next Monday morning, and you may see him around the office during this week as he settles in. Commander Turner recommended I advise the staff."

Mac struggled to keep her expression neutral. When Harm had mentioned that Creswell had self-destructed at the Senate Committee Hearing, she had been relieved. It wasn't a joke that this man could make her life hell. On top of everything from her past, things were just starting to get on an even keel with Harm, and if Creswell caught whiff of anything other than complete professionalism, she could kiss her career and JAG goodbye. "I see. Thank you Petty Officer."

Jen nodded her head sharply. "Thank you for coming over last night, ma'am. I appreciated having those I care for around me. I hope I didn't cause any inconvenience."

Mac smiled, thinking more about how much more inconvenient their ghostly visitor had been. "Not at all Jen, please let me know if you need anything."

"Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am." With that Jen walked out and closed the door behind her.

Mac sighed deeply. Now what was she going to do? Definitely no more sleeping over at Harm's, no matter how tired they were. Plus, once Creswell came in she would either be reassigned or so buried with work that she would never have time to work on this murder case. The one she was supposed to be forgetting about.

Rubbing her temples, she almost jumped out of her chair at a firm knock on the door. Hoping it might be Harm, she called for the visitor to enter. She was a bit surprised when Bud walked through the door. He hadn't previously been one to possess a commanding knock; his Lt. Commander bars were apparently very good for him. She had noticed his new level of confidence, and he seemed more likely to treat the other senior attorneys as equals instead of as paragons of the law.

"Hey Bud, what's up?" She pushed the Holmes folder even farther away; she wasn't going to get back to it again this afternoon.

"Good afternoon ma'am. I take it you heard about the decision for the new JAG?"

"Yes, Coates just came in to inform me. I heard you were recording for the selection committee. Glad it's over?" She smiled, guessing those must have been some pretty political conversations, and Bud wasn't always at ease in such situations.

"Yes ma'am. It wasn't so much the actual sessions, it was all of the politics that happened outside of the room." Bud realized once again he may have said too much, but at Mac's understanding smile he continued. "Speaking of which, I wasn't sure if you had heard about the Masquerade Ball that the SecNav is now planning for this Saturday?" He handed her an engraved invitation on deep black and red paper.

"I hadn't. This is awfully short notice for what I assume will be a typical blowout soiree?" Mac had already heard the rumors circulating that the SecNav had been pushing Creswell as the President's choice for JAG, and had apparently stepped on a lot of toes along the way.

"Yes ma'am. I believe it's going to be more of a political, umm, ahh..." Bud had apparently had a phrase in mind, but was now struggling to find a politically correct replacement.

"Ass-kissing festival?" Mac almost snorted, if Creswell had heard her say that she would definitely be on the next flight to Iceland. The SecNav had a tendency to throw large extravagant parties when he needed to get all of the important people in one room and schmooze his way around their egos.

"Exactly what I was thinking ma'am. Anyway, everyone from JAG has been invited, as we are the office of the moment. I've already called home and made sure Harriet could come, and of course she asked me if you would be there." Bud thought back to Harriet's other issue with the costume party. She had no idea what to wear that would accommodate her and the twins.

"I have a feeling there isn't much of a choice in attending or not, but yes, I'll be there. Do you have any suggestions for where to get a costume this late?" Mac hadn't planned on doing anything special for the holiday, but one didn't show up to a masquerade ball wearing a sheet with holes cut in it.

"I can ask Harriet if she knows of anyone. It wouldn't really surprise me. I'll call her back to let her know you're coming, and ask her then."

"Thanks Bud, say hello for me." At her dismissal, Bud turned and left the room, leaving the door open. Mac was starting to get one hell of a headache; between the Holmes murder, Creswell becoming the new JAG, and now having to get things in order for a party, the tension in her shoulders was radiating right up into the back of her skull. Looking over at her clock and realizing it was now after 1700, she decided to secure for the day.

Just as she picked up her cover and briefcase, the phone rang. "Colonel MacKenzie."

"Hey Mac, it's me." Harms quiet voice came over the line, and while serious it still sent a shiver down her spine.

"Harm, you're just around the corner. Would it kill you to walk down here?" she smiled. Suddenly the line clicked off. Worrying she had upset him, she put the phone down and headed towards the door. He came through it into her office before she made it there however, and she watched him close the door. His expression was grave.

"There's been another murder."

TBC

* * *

_Next Chapter, on JAG..._

_Kate grimaced while trying to keep her blowing hair out of her face. "Sorry to bring you out on such an awful night, but due to your previous interest in the Holmes case I thought you might want to see this. I'll warn you, it isn't pretty."_

* * *

_"Not serial." At Mac's questioning eyebrow, he continued, "it takes three to be a serial killer. There are only two bodies." As he spoke Harm continued walking back towards the car, only to realize he was alone. Looking back, he noticed Mac had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, looking up the street with a sad look on her face._

_"You're wrong Harm. There are three. We just haven't found the third one yet." With that she nodded up the street_

* * *

_She went over to the phone on her desk. Dialing a familiar extension, she waited for him to pick up and then asked, "Well Commander, do you want to play hooky and go get a costume?"_


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Reaching Out – Chapter 5  
Author: Arian  
Rating: PG-13 due to crime scene description  
Disclaimers: If you saw my student loan bills you would never even think I may somehow make a profit off of this. I don't own anything related to JAG or NCIS, although in my other life as a career counselor heard the real NCIS has an amazing internship program.  
  
A/N: Thank you for the great feedback! I admit I was concerned about posting a story, but everyone's support has been wonderful!  
A/N2: I've been spending quite a bit of time on researching the area in which this story takes place. Yes there really is a Starbucks on the Corner of 19th and G Street NW.  
A/N3: Thank you for the great reviews even while I was gone! Props to froggy0319, NavyCB, Maria, Jackia, Little Eirtae, aserene (glad I'm writing them true to character!), Maidenpride21 (I haven't read your story, where is it? goes to find it), Mari, and NavyBabe (I'll see what I can do!)

* * *

October 28th, 2004  
Corner of 19th and G Street NW  
1904 EST  
  
"Sorry it took us so long to get here Agent Todd. Traffic in this part of town, especially this close to an election can be a bit tricky." Mac pulled her jacket a bit closer to her body to ward off the stiff wind that funneling between the buildings in the area. The Starbucks on the corner was calling her name, but if she ever wanted to get home tonight she needed to attend to business.  
  
"Don't I know it. When we had to double park the van for access to the crime scene I thought there could be another murder on our hands." Kate grimaced while trying to keep her blowing hair out of her face. "Sorry to bring you out on such an awful night, but due to your previous interest in the Holmes case I thought you might want to see this. I'll warn you, it isn't pretty""  
  
"Lead on Agent Todd." Harm waved his hand down the block to where yet another alley was roped off with yellow tape. Harm unconsciously put his hand on Mac's back to guide her around a fire hydrant and follow the other woman.  
  
Turning the corner, Mac blew the breath out through her lungs in a gesture of resignation and sadness. Further down the alley was a swarm of agents, some taking samples, other taking yet more pictures. The difference with this crime scene however was the presence of a body. "We're almost done with preliminary documentation, and the coroner should be here any minute now. It won't take an autopsy to call this one." Kate led them both over to the form sprawled on the ground.  
  
Agent McGee chose that exact moment to show up. "Hello Colonel, Commander. Can you believe it? Another murder, almost exactly the same as the scene we saw yesterday?" The man seemed to almost bounce with excitement, and earned a disapproving look from both Kate and Mac. He immediately calmed down, and took out his notebook to cover his embarrassment. "Due to identification on the body, we have concluded this is Ensign Amanda Rice, US Navy."  
  
Harm let his gaze wander over the crime scene, not particularly wanting to see under the sheet that lay over the victim. "Scuff marks leading from the entrance of the alley again."  
  
Mac completed his thought in a way that surprised the two NCIS agents. "Spray on the right hand alley wall again. I assume her throat was slashed?" At this Agent McGee lifted the sheet and Mac could see a young blonde woman with a deep ragged gash across her throat. "What else is similar?"  
  
"Based on the position of the body and the marks on the ground, she was also killed facing out. The blood on the right hand wall indicates the killer was right handed. However, there are some differences." Kate indicated the opposite wall. "There is also blood on this wall, but it is smeared, and there is blood on the victim's hand. At the moment it looks as though she didn't die immediately, but stepped away from her assailant, bracing herself on the wall with her hand before falling to the ground. Whoever did this probably watched her bleed to death."  
  
Mac frowned. "How can you conclude that?" She didn't like the picture this was painting. Someone was preying on young Navy women in the Capitol district, and apparently enjoying watching them die.  
  
"Normally we wouldn't be able to. However, there is a partial footprint on the border of the pool of the victim's blood. There is also blood going in the other direction, consistent with someone walking away. Unless the murderer stayed until she was dead, the footprint would have been obscured by spreading blood." Kate's lips thinned, wary of telling the two attorneys the details revealed by Ensign Holmes' autopsy. "There's more."  
  
Mac sighed. The more they found out the more likely NCIS was to catch whoever did this, but it wasn't easy to listen. "Go ahead."  
  
"The wound on Petty Office Holmes was cast for weapon details. The cast and wound both indicated she was killed with a knife that tore through the skin at first, probably due to serration near the handle, and the very end of the wound was smooth, indicating that at least part of the blade was not. In examining Ensign Rice's wound, it is nearly identical."  
  
"Other than the similarity, is there significance to that?" Harm wrinkled his forehead, trying to make a connection that wasn't immediately obvious to him.  
  
"Yes Commander. There are several military issue knives which have a combination serrated and smooth blade. The slash pattern is a match for a KA-BAR Stainless Steele US Marine Corp Fighting Knife." Kate saw Colonel MacKenzie's spine stiffen and objections immediately come to her lips. However, the restraining hand Commander Rabb put on her arm stopped her before she got started.  
  
"Thank you for informing us. Please keep us appraised. Let us know if we can expect to have this case coming to us, and if or when you determine a suspect." Immediately taking over the conversation, Harm ended it. The last thing he wanted was the logical side of Mac's personality coming up with eighteen ways anyone could have gotten a Marine Corps knife, and widening the gap between them and the forensics team.  
  
Walking out of the alleyway, Mac exploded. "Harm, how could you do that? You know that the suspected weapon being a USMC issue knife doesn't mean anything! Without the actual weapon they can't do anything."  
  
Harm had been expecting this, and was ready with the defense. "Mac, come on. They didn't say, 'hey we think a Marine did this,' they said the weapon may be Marine issue. They know just as well as we do that without the actual weapon it doesn't mean anything. Agent Todd was just trying to let us know to be ready in case this makes it to us."  
  
Mac calmed down a bit at that, and shrugged sheepishly at her immediate defense of the corps. "You're right. I'm really more upset that there is a serial killer out there and it looks like a Marine."  
  
"Not serial." At Mac's questioning eyebrow, he continued, "it takes three to be a serial killer. There are only two bodies." As he spoke Harm continued walking back towards the car, only to realize he was alone. Looking back, he noticed Mac had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, looking up the street with a sad look on her face.  
  
"You're wrong Harm. There are three. We just haven't found the third one yet." With that she nodded up the street.  
  
Harm felt a chill run up his spine as he turned. Standing in a dark corner was a young petty officer. Her wet dark hair flowed down over her shoulders, tangling in the blood across her uniform. She was very obviously not Ensign Rice or Petty Officer Holmes. Harm could only assume Mac recognized the woman as being from her own dream. Flicking his gaze back to her, she nodded.  
  
As Harm once again turned to the apparition in front of him, the Petty Officer raised her arm. Instead of a beckoning plea, this time she pointed. Doing a quick calculation in his head he determined the direction to be south, back toward Potomac Park. Then she vanished.

* * *

October 29th, 2004  
JAG Headquarters  
0814 EST  
  
Mac sipped the coffee she had just poured from the fresh pot on the coffee maker. With the Admiral gone there were very few in the office that enjoyed "Marine-grade" coffee. 'Hmm, maybe Creswell will know how coffee is really supposed to take' she mused. Hearing footsteps approaching, she turned to the door in time to see Harm walk in. "Morning."  
  
"Morning. Anything new last night?" Harm didn't want to admit it, but he had missed having Mac near him at night. It wasn't so much that he was afraid of seeing another ghost, but more the sense of peace her presence brought to his sleep. On the other hand, without her there he had not gotten any late night calls from the recently departed. Sometimes he wondered if she just attracted psychic energy.  
  
"Nope. Nothing. Not even a dream, and I have no idea what that means." While she spoke she watched Harm fill his coffee mug, sniff it and then glance at her suspiciously. "I made it special grade just in case you lost sleep without me there," she said with a grin.  
  
Rather than banter back immediately he saw his opportunity. "I'd much rather lose sleep with you there." At her shocked blush he decided a full-blown flyboy grin was in order, and departed the break room by tossing over his shoulder, "I've got some varnish on my desk I wanted to strip, this should do it."  
  
Mac collected her completely scattered thoughts, picked her jaw up off the floor and made her way back to her office. Rather than feeling rushed or pressured, his comment had given her a warm feeling. Maybe she was ready. Unfortunately that wonderful line of thought was interrupted by one Commander Turner.  
  
"Colonel? I assume Lt. Commander Roberts informed you of the SecNav's party this weekend?" Sturgis could think few things that would be less enjoyable than dressing up in some ridiculous costume for an event that had the sole purpose of mending political fences. However, it was necessary, and he always did what was expected of him. It had gotten him this far, and he didn't see any reason to change that now.  
  
"Yes Commander he did." Mac could tell Sturgis didn't like the idea of the party, and she personally agreed.  
  
"I realize it is short notice, have you been able to secure appropriate attire?" He had no idea what appropriate attire would really be considered, but was sure the Colonel would figure it out.  
  
"No, I haven't. Commander Rabb and I were called to a crime scene last night, and I did not have the opportunity to go out and find something. Lt. Commander Roberts was going to ask his wife if she knew of any place." She had no idea why Sturgis would be concerned about something as trivial as her costume, but with the level of micromanaging he had be doing recently it didn't really surprise her. It seemed that he wanted control over everything under his watch. She could understand the tendency, and honestly pitied him for the extended duty he was pulling as interim JAG.  
  
"Understood. Feel free to take some time today to take care of it; this will be an important event for JAG." He offered her a surprisingly sarcastic smile, and then left her office. Part of her wanted to shout 'duh, you think?' but the slightly self-deprecating manner he had displayed at the end of the conversation made her think the real Sturgis was really under there somewhere, only weighed down with his current command responsibilities.  
  
A thought occurred to her, and she went over to the phone on her desk. Dialing a familiar extension, she waited for him to pick up and then asked, "Well Flyboy, do you want to play hooky and go get a costume?" 

TBC

* * *

_Next Chapter, on JAG...  
  
Mac grinned at him. "Don't be such a party pooper. If we have to go to this damn thing, we might as well enjoy it."  
  
"What, no concerns that the Major General will ship us off to the Aleutians for being out of uniform?" Harm smirked.  
  
"Hey, at least we could keep each other warm."_

_

* * *

"Miss Elaine, I think you have the wrong idea about the Commander and me. He is in no way mine by any means."  
  
Miss Elaine looked at her in flat disbelief. That was definitely not what dear Harriet had told her. She had set up the beautifully pregnant woman with a costume only the day before, at which time she had gotten the entire scoop on her two newest customers. "Well then what the hell is wrong with you?" She asked with a brilliant smile. "It's neither here nor there; I know exactly which of my costumes was made for you."_


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Reaching Out – Chapter 6   
Author: Arian   
Rating: PG   
Disclaimers: See chapter one or just accept that I don't own them. I just borrowed them to play dress up with.

A/N: Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful feedback. It's better for the soul than chicken soup. Special thanks to Maria, Mari, Little Eirtae, froggy0319, guitarvixen, aserene, lumosgirl03, SarahRabb705, maidenpride21,  and Navy Babe. Sorry ladies, you won't get everything you want in this chapter, but suspense is good for you. I am working to encorporate some of your great ideas into the next chapter, which is now on it's way to beta.

A/N2: I'll amend my previous statement. Miss Elaine and her house come completely from my own imagination. I have a feeling she is a future me, come back to play with JAG in her own unique way. As one of my other jobs is as a costumer, it's entirely possible.

* * *

October 29th, 2004   
Miss Elaine's Movie Recreations   
Rosslyn, VA   
1335 EST 

Harm looked at the Victorian house in front of him suspiciously. He had been swamped in paperwork all morning, and this was the first chance he and Mac had gotten to search for costumes for the upcoming masquerade. Harriet had highly recommended Miss Elaine to them, mentioning that she only rented out her costumes to those with personal recommendations from other clients. "Well, the house fits the season."

Mac grinned at him. "Don't be such a party pooper. If we have to go to this damn thing, we might as well enjoy it."

"What, no concerns that the Major General will ship us off to the Aleutians for being out of uniform?" Harm smirked.

"Hey, at least we could keep each other warm." She shot back, returning the favor for his earlier comment. She got the reaction she was looking for; Harm's jaw dropped like a stone. "Besides, it's an official masquerade, which means the uniform is a costume. Oh come on!" With that she dragged him up the front porch of the old house and rang the bell.

Harm almost lost it when the door was opened by an elderly woman in an intricate witch costume. He managed to smother his burst of laughter with a strangled sounding snort, at which Mac raised an eyebrow. The twinkle of mischief in her eyes made him bite his lips to keep from exploding.

"Nice to meet you Colonel MacKenzie. I assume that the rather purple looking fellow here is Commander Rabb?" Miss Elaine had an almost identical twinkle in her eye, and Harm quickly realized he was incredibly outmatched.

"Miss Elaine, you come very highly recommended by a dear friend of ours. I just hope you have something we can rent on such a short notice."

After giving them both a very frank once over, the older woman beamed. "I have just the thing. Please come inside."

Stepping inside the house, Harm was expecting cobwebs and flickering candles. And he got it. But what he wasn't anticipating was the sense of happiness and mischief that pervaded the house. Miss Elaine apparently took Halloween very seriously, but it was with a festive air lacking in most modern day spook movies. Directly in front of the door was a long winding staircase; exactly where it should be. The candle holders on the wall presumably burned real candle during the dark hours of the night, and there were heave drapes hanging from all of the doorways. However, he didn't see a single plastic pumpkin, nor any glow-in-the-dark skeletons.

"Hey Harm, were you planning on joining us at some point?" Mac poked him in the side. She was impressed with the house, and a bit surprised at its welcoming feel, being an old rickety place inhabited by a witch.

"That's alright Colonel, I'm going to take the Commander into the side salon and get him into something " Miss Elaine batted her eyelashes outrageously, and then broke out laughing. "I always like to surprise, coup-, umm, coworkers with their costumes. If you'll just wait here a bit Colonel, I'll go pull what I think will work for the Commander and then come back for you. Please feel free to make yourself at home. Now you come along with me young man." With a wink over her shoulder she swept through the curtains into another room.

"Well Harm, you better get moving. That uniform must be sooooo uncomfortable," Mac laughed.

"I'll get you for this." Harm smiled and then did exactly as he was told.

Mac was only waiting in the foyer for about five minutes before Miss Elaine reentered the room. "Well now that I have your Commander taken care of, why don't we do the same for you?"

"Miss Elaine, I think you have the wrong idea about the Commander and me. He is in no way mine by any means."

Miss Elaine looked at her in flat disbelief. That was definitely not what dear Harriet had told her. She had set up the beautifully pregnant woman with a costume only the day before, at which time she had gotten the entire scoop on her two newest customers. "Well then what the hell is wrong with you?" She asked with a brilliant smile. "It's neither here nor there; I know exactly which of my costumes was made for you."

Mac could only silently laugh. Walking through the doorway, she gasped at the beautiful costumes lining the walls. Several she recognized; Scarlet O'Hara's green curtain dress was standing over in one corner, and Mac thought she saw a red dress reminiscent of the movie Titanic peeking out from behind a cloak. "Oh my. Miss Elaine, it's two days before Halloween, how do you still have these available?"

The elderly woman crossed the room to lovingly run her hand down a satin flapper costume. "I only rent to the right people. I have spent most of my life creating these; they're rather like children to me."

"They're incredible." Mac slowly walked around the room taking it all in. "How can you give them up at all, even only for one night?"

"Because my talent can give others a bit of magic, even if it's only for one night." She wrinkled her nose up with a wicked little smile, and the walked to the back of the room. "And this one is your magic."

* * *

Harm looked in the mirror at himself. He had to admit, this was an amazing costume. He tipped the hat a little lower and rakishly downcast over his eyes. It was a costume that made him feel dark, dangerous, and even a little sexy. The cape like jacket fit his broad shoulders perfectly, the pants were exactly the right length, and even the dark boots were the right size. He heard a rustle behind him and turned to look at an incredibly pleased Miss Elaine. 

"I told you it was perfect."

Harm answered her by treating her to a full-blown flyboy grin, heavy on the charm.

* * *

Mac had almost exactly the same reaction Harm had upon seeing herself in the mirror. The gown hugged her in all the right places and the color made her skin glow. The full length gloves encased her arms in sensual satin and she had already come up with several ways to do her hair. For the first time since she spoke with the doctor in May, she felt completely like a woman.

Her stomach gave a little quiver as she thought about Harm in the next room. What would he be wearing? What would he think of her in this? Anticipation ran up her spine, and she grinned like the Cheshire cat. Turning slowly in the three-way mirror, she blessed the tiny woman in the next room. She actually had a reason to look forward to the party now.

* * *

Harm watched Mac come through the curtains with a smug look on her face and a garment bag over her arm. She must be just as happy with her selection as he was. "All set Mac?"

"Absolutely." Her smile reached all the way to her deep chocolate eyes, and he felt trapped in them.

"Almost." Miss Elaine interrupted, holding out two smaller bags. "A little birdie told me this was all for a masquerade ball. I do believe that means you'll be needing masks, yes?"

Mac peeked into her bag and then beamed at the woman in front of her. "Miss Elaine, you have an incredible talent. Thank you for the magic." With that she leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, a gesture that surprised Harm a little.

"You can reward me with a few pictures; I love to see my creations come to life. Now get along you two, and have a wonderful time this weekend." She shooed them out the door and once on the porch both officers broke into laughter.

"Did she tell you that she makes all of these herself?" Mac still couldn't believe the woman would loan out her creations. "The witch costume she wore was a disguise; she's really more like a fairy godmother."

"Well Cinderella, we should probably get back before Sturgis turns into a pumpkin, hmm?" Beckoning with the arm carrying his own costume, Harm led Mac away from the house and back to reality.

* * *

JAG Headquarters   
1849 EST 

Mac sighed as she once again straightened a stack of folders on her desk. She really should have left work long ago, but this was the last time she would be in her office until the new CO took over. The obsessive part of her personality wanted at least her office to look perfect, maybe in some effort to balance the mess Creswell could make out of her career. The happiness she had felt at Miss Elaine's had followed her well into the afternoon, but had been slowly replaced by apprehension. At this point she was wound so tight all of the chamomile tea in the world wouldn't help her sleep.

The phone rang sharply and Mac jumped. What was it with her? Every little noise had her going through the roof. "Colonel MacKenzie?"

"Hi ma'am, I just wanted to call and see if you had met Miss Elaine yet?" Harriet had been so excited when Bud asked her to refer Mac and Harm somewhere to get costumes. Elaine had managed to find her something that made her feel beautiful instead of awkward, and with the twin playing soccer with most of her internal organs, it wasn't an easy task. Most of all she had enjoyed the easy going, blunt nature of the woman, and knew in her gut that she could help her two friends.

"Yes, Harm and I went over this afternoon. She's an incredible woman." Mac smiled at the thrill her costume still gave her.

"Yes ma'am, she certainly is. So are you going to tell me about your costume?" Harriet couldn't wait to see what Miss Elaine had fixed the two of them up as. She was notorious for creating couples right out of the movies, and Harriet had made sure the elderly woman understood that the Commander and Colonel should go as a pair. Sure, it was meddling, but at this point she didn't particularly care. She almost giggled at the thought.

"Sorry Harriet, I kind of like the idea of keeping it a secret until my grand entrance." Mac was keeping this bit of magic to herself as long as possible.

"But ma'am, that's not fair. The Commander will get to see you before everyone else!" Harriet almost pouted and then realized that Mac couldn't see her over the phone.

"Oh no he won't Harriet, don't worry. I have a very long cloak to wear over top of the entire thing. I'm not giving anything away." Mac grinned.

"Well I'm glad you're happy with it ma'am. I probably better get off the phone, I hear AJ talking to his brother and that usually means trouble. We'll see you tomorrow!"

"Absolutely Harriet, looking forward to it." Mac put down the phone with a smile. Looking around the office, she decided it was as straight as it was going to get and it was time to call it a night.

* * *

Mac's Apartment   
Georgetown   
2129 EST 

Mac snuggled down into her lavender colored flannel pajamas. The wind was still blowing fiercely outside, and every once in a while the lights would flicker ominously. She had immediately hung up her costume upon returning home, and would steam it the next day to take out any wrinkles it had picked up. Now she sat quietly, sipping her tea and just enjoying the quiet.

She wasn't thinking about anything in particular really. Yes, she was nervous about meeting Creswell the next night, and wondering if he would say anything right there or wait until Monday morning. She was also worried about being moved away from the only real family she had ever known, but somehow she had realized there was nothing she could really do about it right now. She was just starting to get drowsy when her phone rang.

"MacKenzie."

"Hey Mac." Harm's warm voice flowed over the phone line like honey.

"Hi Harm. What are you up to?"

"Nothing really, just sitting here and playing a little guitar. I didn't get to see much of you after we got back, so I thought I would call and see how you were doing." He knew she had been getting more and more tense throughout the day, and knowing her as well as he did, he expected the newly appointed Major General Creswell was the source of it. They had such a good time during their visit to the costumers that he was sorry to see her be pulled down.

"I'm good. Just sitting here drinking my tea." She smiled at his thoughtfulness, and also at his honesty. He didn't try to come up with some lame excuse for calling, just admitted he had been thinking about her. 'How refreshing.'

"Well by all means, don't let me interrupt your quality time." He could almost see her sitting there in her 'comfy clothes.' The vision in his head had her hair up in a ponytail, fuzzy slippers on her feet, and one of her beat up afghans on her lap. He had no way of knowing that was exactly the scene in her apartment.

"You're not. It's kinda creepy outside tonight, huh?" Just as she finished the sentence there was a beep on her end of the line. "Hey Harm, I've got another call, hang on a sec okay?"

"Sure Mac." His glance wandered around the inside of his apartment while he waited. He noticed one of her neckties underneath the coffee table, and realized she must have left it there the other night. Just as he bent down to pick it up she came back on the line.

"Harm?"

"Hey Mac, I just found some of your clothes under my coffee table. How do you suppose they got there?" he purred in what he hoped was a sexy tone.

"I must have left them there the other morning." She said distractedly. "Listen Harm that was Agent McGee. They found her." Harm didn't even need to ask who she was talking about. He just sighed and crossed the room to put his shoes on.

TBC

* * *

_Next Chapter, On JAG..._

_There was a body bag lying on a gurney near the back end, and as they walked over Mac realized she was colder than hell. This could be it. The woman from her dreams, the one to start this crazy search, and possibly the very first victim, could be behind that zipper._

_

* * *

_

_Gibbs was not happy that Rabb and his partner were there, not at all. "Commander, Colonel. Can I ask why you are at my crime scene?"_

_Harm quickly focused on the man who had put him behind bars. The roaring in his ears that started with DiNozzo's comment slowly faded, but his blood pressure had to be up to a dangerous level. In a very flat tone he answered the veteran agent. "We have been involved in the case from almost the beginning Agent Gibbs. It's more of a courtesy call than anything else. This may be coming up to us if the killer turns out to be military. Or if you just assume he is and send him our way anyway."_

_

* * *

_

_"The murders keep moving northeast. Does that mean something?" Harm was puzzled by the pattern on the map in front of him. It was very unusual to find a completely clean murder scene, let alone three of them._


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Reaching Out – Chapter 7   
Author: Arian   
Rating: PG-13

Disclaimers: Surprise, between last chapter and this one I bought JAG. Surprise! Oh sorry, I apparently went insane there for a second. Damn, I was about to let the shippers start writing the new season. Oh, and I don't own NCIS either, just borrowed their characters to abuse.

A/N: Again the locations are real. There is a curve in the Potomac River near the interchange that has an inlet a body could easily come to rest in. I looked for river current maps, but alas could not find any. Remember, life is in the details :)

A/N2: Thanks to Mia and Faith for the encouragement on a daily basis. Thank you also to Maria, Mari, Little Eirtae, guitarvixen, lumosgirl03, SarahRabb705, maidenpride21, zoomie, aserene, Navy Babe (hope you like the crossover), and froggy0319 (yay! I'm an alert now!)

* * *

October 29th, 2004   
I295/I95 Interchange   
Near Oxon Hill Farm   
2243 EST 

"We really need to stop meeting under these circumstances Agent McGee." Mac gave a slow smile to the flustered agent.

"Yes ma'am, you're right, we do. Absolutely." He kept checking over his shoulder in a nervous manner. She began to wonder what had the man so unsettled, and tried to hide her grin at his discomfort behind a cough.

"You may want to take something for that cough." Somehow the voice that made the comment was able to turn something completely innocuous into a pickup line. Mac turned to see a handsome young man grinning at her like she was his next meal. He held out his hand to her.

"Agent Tony DiNozzo. Ms...?" While he seemed nice enough, he was also incredibly cocky.

"Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie." She thought she remembered him from Harm's investigation, and she ignored the offered hand and turned back to Agent McGee, giving DiNozzo a cold shoulder that could give an iceberg a run for its money. She could see a sparkle come to McGee's eye, and inside was laughing her ass off. "Agent McGee, I assume there is new information and you didn't just call for a date tonight?"

McGee bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Yes ma'am. We were called down here a few hours ago, seems that a local fisherman was hip wading in the reeds around the inlet and caught something a little bigger than he was ready to handle." He waved an arm towards a waiting van. There was a body bag lying on a gurney near the back end, and as they walked over Mac realized she was colder than hell. This could be it. The woman from her dreams, the one to start this crazy search, and possibly the very first victim, could be behind that zipper.

Suddenly she felt a very warm hand on her back and her apprehension melted away. She didn't even have to turn to know that Harm was walking behind her. He had gone to park the car after dropping her off and in all probability had seen her interaction with DiNozzo. She couldn't feel any possessiveness in his touch however, only support.

Out of the corner of his eye Harm could see Agent Todd on an intercept path with them. Quickly judging time and speed he put a little pressure on Mac's back to hurry her toward the van. They ended up reaching the gurney at exactly the same moment as the female agent.

"Commander, Colonel. I see you've already heard about our latest victim." She glared at a bewildered McGee. This was not going to be good. Beyond the pair of naval lawyers she saw DiNozzo making his way over with one of his self satisfied grins. This was definitely not going to be good.

"Agent McGee called me a little while ago. I'm assuming it's the same M.O., being that we're quite a way from the location of the other murders?" Mac's fingers itched to yank down the closure to the bag, but held back due to the quickly escalating situation. She didn't understand Agent Todd's sudden chilly attitude after including them in the rest of the investigation. She felt a brushing motion on her arm and Agent DiNozzo slipped past her.

"Well if you mean did she take a ride on the Ripper express, then yup, same M.O." Tony didn't like being embarrassed in front of McGee, and while he wasn't usually vindictive, it was a weird sort of night. He yanked the zipped on the body bag down and flipped the edges aside.

Mac drew in a quick breath and then barely met Harm's eyes. It was her. Her long dark hair was tangled with leaves and other muck from the river, and her pale skin was almost transparent. Her features were more bloated than what she remembered from her sightings of her, but long exposure to the water of the river would explain that. Mac finally focused on the bloodless gash across the young woman's throat, and quickly determined it had the same attributes as those of the other women. Harm heard her sigh, and moved his hand ever so slightly against the back of her coat.

DiNozzo caught the movement and for some reason it lit a fire under him. He wasn't one to get jealous over another man having a beautiful woman, but that little show she had put on in front of McGee just burned him. Gibbs had been riding his ass all day about this case, and now the two shining stars of the Navy JAG showed up to save the day. He quickly remembered something from Rabb's case file and before he could stop it the thought was out of his mouth.

"Killed the same way that girlfriend of yours was, huh Rabb?"

Mac's gaze immediately flew to Harm's face. How could she have forgotten that Diane had been killed in a very similar manner? She mentally smacked herself on the forehead.

Kate could not believe DiNozzo had said something like that. She had no idea if it was true, but the way the color drained out of the Commander's face made her think it was. That was as far as her reaction got before doom descended on them all.

"Don't you think we've embarrassed ourselves enough where the Commander is concerned DiNozzo?" Agent Gibbs had been slowly approaching the group, trying to assess who was responsible for JAG getting involved. He had a bad feeling McGee had made a rookie mistake, and he'd learn later. For now Tony was a much better target for his anger.

"Uh, uhm, sure boss."

"I thought maybe. Why don't you go down to the river and start sifting through the mud, see if you can catch anything." Gibbs was not happy that Rabb and his partner were there, not at all. But DiNozzo's big mouth had once again created an impossible situation, and maybe playing in the mud at the cold end of October would remind the agent of his place in the food chain. "Commander, Colonel. Can I ask why you are at my crime scene?"

Harm quickly focused on the man who had put him behind bars. The roaring in his ears that started with DiNozzo's comment slowly faded, but his blood pressure had to be up to a dangerous level. In a very flat tone he answered the veteran agent. "We have been involved in the case from almost the beginning Gibbs. It's more of a courtesy call than anything else. This may be coming up to us if the killer turns out to be military. Or if you just assume he is and send him our way anyway."

Kate and Mac immediately jumped into the conversation to avoid an all out war.

"Gibbs."

"Harm."

Gibbs cut them both off. "Rabb, I don't like you. I'm not going to pretend that I do. And nothing about this case has anything to do with yours. So what the hell are you doing here poking around?" Something about Rabb just got under his skin and twitched.

Harm narrowed his eyes, and then realized Mac's hand was on his arm. It had probably been there all along, but he only now noticed it. And it immediately reminded him to take a deep breath. That's what she did; kept him balanced. "We are close to the first victim's friend, and since then have been brought in periodically to be updated on the case. You seem to have a serial murderer on your hands, and any resources we can lend could make the difference."

Gibbs huffed. He looked at Kate and got a set of raised eyebrows in response. He set his jaw, but realized that the Navy man was right. "Fine. Todd, McGee, finish up here and meet me back at headquarters. There is a lot of evidence to sort through, so I hope you kept your calendars open." With a nod at Harm and Mac he turned on his heel and strode away with his hands in his pockets.

Kate let out a very pent up breath before soundly smacking McGee on the back of the head. "See?" She then glanced apologetically at Harm. "As you can see, everything is the same as the other bodies. We have a feeling the evidence on the body will link it back toward Potomac Park, but can't make any conclusions until after our medical examiner does his work." She noticed the Colonel gazing sadly at the victim. "Do you recognize her?"

Mac looked up suddenly. "No. She's just so young. Do you have any idea who she is?"

"Not yet. No purse, dog tags, nothing. We'll find it though. I'll let you know when I hear something." With that she returned her gaze to McGee. "Well McGee, it seems you and I have a date with a very large filing system."

"Hey, at least it's better than sifting through river muck." McGee grinned, still thoroughly enjoying the fact that DiNozzo had been schooled. He thought he saw a quick smile slip out of the Colonel, but at a second glance she was once again all professional. "We'll be in touch."

"Thank you." With one final look at the woman on the gurney, Mac turned to Harm and raised her eyebrows. He was still staring in the direction Gibbs had gone, but at her nudge started walking toward where he parked the SUV.

The silence was driving Mac nuts. The wind made the shadows on the ground dance, and it howled through the tops of the trees. "Harm?"

"Yeah."

"You ok?"

"Sure."

"Want to talk?"

Harm sighed. He probably should. But where the hell to start? "It did come to mind that they were being murdered like her. But I put that to rest a long time ago." He remembered vividly the night that Diane's killer had died in the gap between a ship and the dock. He also remembered the kiss that had started in the past and ended in the future. "I didn't expect to see Gibbs down here, but oh well." He chuckled softly. "I guess it went as well as it could have. What the hell did you say to DiNozzo that got to him like that?"

Mac smiled, glad he was really ok. "I didn't say anything. I just ignored his existence."

Harm laughed out loud. "Ouch! That is sooo much worse. At least when I get yelled at you're paying attention to me." He jumped as she hit him on the arm playfully.

Reaching the Lexus they got in and started the drive north to Washington. Mac was very quite in the passenger seat, and when he looked over she was staring out the window. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Mac sighed. "I was wondering if it's over. If we're done seeing them because she's been found. Part of me really hopes so."

Harm knew there was more to her thinking that just that. "But?"

"Part of me knows this person is still out there. He could hurting someone right now."

"Mac, there's nothing we can do right now. NCIS has to do their thing and put the pieces together." He was just as frustrated as she was, but it was late and short of patrolling the entire park area they couldn't stop another murder from happening. "It's time to get you home; we have a very busy night tomorrow, in case you forgot."

Mac finally smiled. "How could I forget? And you're right, I'm beat. Take me home, James." She said in her best snotty aristocrat voice.

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

October 30th   
NCIS Headquarters   
1352 EST 

Harm took a deep breath before entering the lion's den. He absolutely did not want to be here, and definitely did not want to do this alone. However, after the week they had Mac had decided to go to a spa for the afternoon to work out some of her stress before meeting Creswell that night. He had completely agreed with the idea; it would be good for her. It unfortunately meant that when he had gotten the call from Agent Todd that morning he couldn't call her cell phone, and so arrived at NCIS headquarters without his partner.

After inquiring at the front desk he was led into a room lit only by gooseneck lamps set up around a large map of the Capitol district. Agent Todd was sitting in a chair sorting through several large files, and there were evidence bags scattered throughout the room. He assumed there was a method to the madness, but it wasn't immediately apparent to him.

"Commander, glad you could join me." The young woman looked incredibly worn out, but still completely professional. "We still have no idea who is doing this, and I kind of hoped a fresh pair of eyes could see something I can't. I realize it's highly unusual, but as you already know the case Gibbs let me call you in."

"What do you have Agent Todd?" He wandered around the table the map was displayed on. Several red markers were placed in the Potomac Park area.

"The markers indicate the murder sites. Evidence on Lt. Darcy Lee's body led us to check the waterfront along this area." She indicated a stretch of the park near the river. "We found her purse, tags, and cover in this area, along with blood evidence on the railing between the sidewalk and the river."

"Darcy Lee." He sighed. "He killed her and dumped her body. When?"

Kate tapped the marker on the green section of the map. "Four days ago. She was the first." She then drew her fingers across to the other murder sites. "In Potomac Park, nearby in an alley, and finally near 19th and G. Same weapon, same M.O. And we have no idea who he is. He hadn't left any evidence other than one footprint." She slammed her hands down on the table in frustration. She hadn't gotten any sleep the night before and her nerves were frayed. "This sick sonofabitch grabs them, drags them into the darkness, makes sure that they can see the way out, and then slaughters them!" She was so caught up in her emotions she hadn't noticed Harm make his way completely around the table, examining the map.

"The murders keep moving northeast. Does that mean something?" He was puzzled by the pattern on the map in front of him. It was very unusual to find a completely clean murder scene, let alone three of them.

"It could. Could mean the first one was close to home or work, but he's had to move farther out to find Navy victims each time. Could also mean he went the distance with Darcy but has been getting lazy and not going as far. Could mean nothing at all and he's just random but it looks like a pattern at the moment." Kate focused on the map for a moment, and then moved over to one of the evidence cabinets. "This is the type of knife we believe is being used."

Harm took the offered weapon and tilted it in his hand. It was a sick looking weapon, made for war. He furrowed his brow, and then sat down in one of the chairs around the room. "Can I see the other evidence?"

After several hours, Harm scrubbed his hands over his face. 'At least NCIS should feel good that I can't figure it out either.' There was a pattern to the murders, including the weapon used, and the boot tread from the second scene again pointed to a military man being the killer. But nothing in the victims' backgrounds connected them in any way. Unless the killer made a mistake, or new evidence came to light, they had nothing.

"Sorry for wasting your Saturday Commander. I just didn't want to admit we have to wait for the next crime scene to get more evidence." Kate propped her head up on one hand.

He sighed. "Me either. But I guess there's not much of a choice. I have somewhere to be tonight, so I should probably head home to get ready. Please let me know immediately if anything comes up." Harm shook her hand, and then started home. The entire case bothered the hell out of him. The chances were so incredibly high that another woman would be murdered, or already had been. His nightmares the night before had put Mattie on a cold slab in a morgue with her eyes staring at him. It hadn't had the same level of impending reality the other dream did, but he didn't deal well with feelings of helplessness.

At least he could now look forward to the evening. Just thinking about finally stepping out of character for a night made him smile. He wondered what everyone else would dress as, what Mac's costume would look like. With that thought firmly in mind he raced home to prepare for the night ahead.

TBC

A/N2: Sorry this one doesn't give everyone the costume surprise they've been clamoring for, but the story writes itself. If I raced right to the party and ignored the legal plot it wouldn't be any where nearly as intriguing. I promise it will be worth the wait. Next chapter even...excited grin

* * *

_Next Chapter, on JAG..._

_"Aren't you going to say 'trick or treat'?" she asked in a soft voice. His gaze flew to her face, which was framed by a deep black hood. He couldn't see a single part of her costume, but her cheeks were flushed with excitement and her smile was a mile wide._

_"I think I'd much rather have the treat." His voice melted her nerve endings. When she had opened the door the sight of him had made her catch her breath. He was absolutely the sexiest man she had ever seen._

_

* * *

_

_Mac gave Harm a look that clearly said 'get over it' and turned back to the group which had just grown to include Jennifer dressed in a deep blue Renaissance-style dress. Everyone chatted for a while, purposefully avoiding the subject of their new CO. Sturgis returned after a time with a waiter carrying a tray of alcohol free punch for the ladies and bourbons for the gentlemen. Raising his glass to Harm in particular, he simply said "to letting someone else run the show," to which everyone heartily clinked their glasses._

_

* * *

_

_Turning about the dance floor, the song ended and after applauding they turned back toward their table. It was getting late, closer to the witching hour than anyone wanted to admit, and Harm made his way toward the entrance to collect their capes. Just as he handed their tickets to the attendant, he felt a familiar chill run up his spine._


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Reaching Out – Chapter 8   
Author: Arian   
Disclaimers: Nope, don't own them. Just took them out, dressed them up, swirled them around on a dance floor and had a good time. I'll put them back... I promise... Well, after the next few chapters... Then I'll put them back... Yeah. I also do not own any of the places mentioned in the story, or any movies that are referenced. The movies are on my holiday list however, and then I will own them.   
A/N: The hotel in this chapter, the St. Regis Hotel, is a real place in DC. If you check it out online, it might help you picture the scene in your head.   
A/N2: Sorry to be such a tease. Okay, no I'm not. But the suspense about the costumes can now end. No more COSTUME cliffhangers. He he he evil laugh   
A/N3: Thanks for the great reviews Maria, Mari, Little Eirtae, lumosgirl03, SarahRabb705, zoomie, Navy Babe, Jackia, maidenpride21, guitarvixen (Halloween is only over when you let it be!!!:), aserene (you were close, but not quite), and froggy0319 (I won't let you down!)

* * *

October 30th   
Harm's Apartment   
North of Union Station   
2007 EST 

Harm ran his fingertips around the brim of his hat. He had grabbed a very quick nap upon getting back to the apartment, and then woke up with an even faster shower. After looking at his costume hanging in the closet, he had decided not to shave, leaving on almost a day and a half of stubble. It was the first time in his life he would show up to a work function not cleanly shaven, but it seemed fitting. He slowly pulled on a pair of black leather gloves and then finally stepped back to look at himself in the mirror.

Hearing a low whistle he turned around, surprised to see Mattie in the middle of the room. "Hey kiddo, I didn't hear you come in."

"You were probably too busy checking yourself out," she laughed. While she had always known Harm was good looking, she was gaining an even better appreciation of the fact now. He looked incredible. And holy cow cool. He had on a dark hat that looked like a cross between a cowboy hat and Indiana Jones' fedora. The tilt of the hat made him look dangerous, an impression reinforced by the long leather duster he had on over a pair of black pants, a leather buckled vest and high black boots. There were also random leather and cloth straps hanging around his neck and from his belt. "Where'd ya get the Van Helsing costume? It looks awesome!"

"From this little old witch over in Rosslyn. Somebody Harriet knows. Does it really look ok? And you get what I am?" Harm actually turned to try and see the back of the costume in the mirror with a worried look on his face.

Mattie was torn between laughing and rolling her eyes. "Of course I know who you are. It was one of the most popular movies of the Halloween season. And you look just like him, 'cept you hair isn't as long." She walked up behind him and watched as he scrubbed his hand over his face. "You look perfect. Chill out, and go trryyy to have a good time."

Flashing her a wide grin, he turned dramatically, picked up his wallet and mask from the counter and headed for the door. "Ok, let's get moving. You ready?" He was going to drop Mattie off at the Roberts' to baby-sit the boys before swinging through Georgetown to pick Mac up.

"Yup, just let me grab my bag from the apartment!" With that she rushed out of the room. Harm took one last look at himself in the mirror before grabbing his overcoat and following her.

* * *

Mac's Apartment   
Georgetown   
2030 EST 

Harm was surprised when Mac didn't immediately respond to his knock. It was giving him time to get nervous, and he started to play with the fingers of his gloves while he waited. What if she thought he looked dumb? Halloween wasn't something he normally took part in; the whole thing seemed a little morbid to him. Maybe it was because death had played a pretty substantial role in his life, or because he didn't need a special holiday to remember the dead. He was so caught up in worrying that he didn't even hear the door open.

"Aren't you going to say 'trick or treat'?" she asked in a soft voice. His gaze flew to her face, which was framed by a deep black hood. He couldn't see a single part of her costume, but her cheeks were flushed with excitement and her smile was a mile wide.

"I think I'd much rather have the treat." His voice melted her nerve endings. When she had opened the door the sight of him had made her catch her breath. He was absolutely the sexiest man she had ever seen. His coat covered most of his costume, but the black hat hanging low over his forehead and the day and a half beard growth on his face made him look rugged and incredibly enticing. She was so caught up in staring at him she almost missed his question. "Don't I get to see who I'm taking to the ball?"

"Sorry sailor, I want to save that treat for the party." She gave him a brilliant smile, picked up her mask and hand bag and closed the door behind her.

Harm offered her his arm. "Well then m'lady, I believe your carriage awaits."

* * *

The St. Regis Hotel   
923 16th and K St. NW   
2100 EST 

As Harm gave his keys to the valet, Mac let her gaze drift up the outside of the hotel. The stately structure only blocks from the White House was brightly lit from within. Based on the movement and music coming from one end of the hotel, Mac surmised that the ballroom was somewhere off to the right. She felt Harm's hand on her back, and taking one last breath of cold evening air, stepped into the lobby.

Harm realized immediately that the SecNav was on a mission, as he had obviously spared no expense. The hotel was beautiful, with heavy draperies lining the windows of the lobby. The combination of light rosy colors and expensive fabric gave the hotel a feeling of decadence, but also of softness. Upon presenting their invitations to a bell hop they were ushered across the space toward the Crystal Ballroom. Light streamed through the glass paned French doors, playing upon the carpet of the hallways and drawing them toward the party.

Gliding up to the coat attendant, Mac made sure Harm was occupied taking off his overcoat before loosening the clasp to her cloak. She silently turned and let the hotel staff member lift the heavy cape from her shoulders. Then she brought her mask to cover her eyes and waited for him to turn around.

Harm realized she was waiting for him, and knew that she had been excited almost non-stop since the day before about her costume. Feeling just a bit silly he turned in a dramatic way that made his duster jacket flair behind him. Intending to give her a dangerously rakish smile his mouth dropped open instead.

Her hair was swept back from her face in an intricate updo, complete with a silver and red beaded comb, while several long strands escaped the style to whisper across her shoulders. Her red satin dress was corseted to a deep v-waistline, showing off both her tiny waist and a delicious amount of cleavage. The full skirt was bustled at the back, enhancing the shape of her hips, and the train was attached to a band at her wrist to allow for easy movement. Long white gloves ran up her arms highlighting the deep glow of her skin, and drew his attention to her face, which was hidden behind a gold and red velvet mask.

His reaction was everything she had hoped for. What she wasn't prepared for was her own response. He was dressed almost completely in leather, looked dangerous beyond belief, and in complete awe of her. It was a stunning combination, made even more incredible as she watched his eyes darken with desire. She had wanted to feel beautiful, but now she felt wanted, desired, almost divine.

Someone coughed behind them and they suddenly remembered their place at the entrance to the ballroom. Harm transferred his black mask to his left hand and offered her his arm. She delicately laid her arm on top of his and they entered the room together.

'Yup, the SecNav is absolutely on a mission. This isn't any thrown together last minute affair.' Harm smirked a bit at the thought while leading Mac across the decorated ballroom. What he assumed was usually a stunning gold encrusted great room was now also draped in deep purple and black. Candelabras between the windows held black candles, and the centerpieces on the tables combined creatively carved pumpkins, fall leaves and dark rich fabrics. Wait staff dressed in deepest black circulated silently between the already occupied tables and the guests who stood mingling. His height advantage made it possible for him to spot Harriet, Bud and Sturgis across the room, and he began to steer Mac in that direction.

Mac could almost see their friends when a hand on her arm stopped her. She turned in surprise to see a nervous Webb. "Hello Sarah."

Conflicting emotions rose to the surface, but above all was a strange sense of indifference. Yes, there was still anger, hurt, and even a bit of fondness, but above all she realized he didn't bother her anymore. She couldn't help digging at him a little however. Webb was dressed in a black suit with dark sunglasses, apparently as a Man in Black. She raised a sarcastic eyebrow, "And here I thought you would dress as Death."

Webb looked down, sighed, and released her arm. "Just wanted to say Happy Halloween. Have a good night. Rabb," he acknowledged and then melted back into the crowd.

Mac took a deep breath and turned back to Harm. "I thought I saw the Roberts ahead, shall we?"

Harm put a hand on her back to guide her while also bending down to speak in her ear as they walked. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I really am." She said with a nod and a look of concentration. "I think I finally really am." The she smiled in a way that made him forget they were in a room full of people. An excited shriek broke the moment however, and they realized they had reached their friends.

"Oh my god ma'am you look incredible! I was so hoping she was going to give you the Anna Valerious costume! Bud and I rented Van Helsing Thursday night after I saw it there, you both look amazing! Those are her showcase costumes, the ones she made just this year; she was telling me all about them when I picked mine out!" Harriet rambled on, glowing with both excitement and a beauty enhanced by her pregnancy. Her coustme included a nude colored under dress overlaid with multiple layers of pastel chiffon, which clung to her breasts, floated delicately over a belly she was obviously proud of, and joined multiple other layers to form a long skirt. Strands of flowers and light green leaves twined through the wisps of color in her dress and were threaded through her hair. A liberal sprinkling of glittery makeup had made her appear ethereal. As a counterpart to her goddess Demeter, Bud was dressed as an impressive Zeus, complete with a shimmery toga and laurel wreath. His graying hair looked even statelier in combination with his costume, and his pride in his wife as a woman and as the bearer of their children was evident in the set of his shoulders and his beaming smile.

"Thank you Harriet, you look amazing." Mac hugged the blonde woman, completely aware of how she had been worried about finding a nice costume. While a bit jealous of her friends burgeoning figure, Harriet's excitement overtook her and Mac had no choice but to be happy.

Harm shook Bud's hand in greeting, and then turned to Sturgis. There was a slightly chilly silence, with neither man knowing how to greet each other outside of the tired office courtesies. Mac, buoyed by Harriet's mood finally stepped in between the two of them. "Oh would you two stop it? Sturgis, where is Vareese?"

The question did the trick, breaking the silence and bringing a gentle smile to the commander's face. He nodded toward a stage set up on the other side of the dance floor, where Vareese was performing a sound check in a beautiful gold flapper costume. "The SecNav asked if she would perform tonight for the party, and since it meant we could come together she agreed." He pulled on the cuffs of his gangster style suit coat before excusing himself to see if Vareese wanted a drink.

Mac gave Harm a look that clearly said 'get over it' and turned back to the group which had just grown to include Jennifer dressed in a deep blue Renaissance-style dress. Everyone chatted for a while, purposefully avoiding the subject of their new CO. Sturgis returned after a time with a waiter carrying a tray of alcohol free punch for the ladies and bourbons for the gentlemen. Raising his glass to Harm in particular, he simply said "to letting someone else run the show," to which everyone heartily clinked their glasses.

Mac didn't notice the hard look the waiter gave the group, or how his eyes lingered on each of the women before he disappeared back into the crowd.

* * *

2204 EST 

After the first several courses of a wonderful meal, the SecNav stood to take the party in hand. It was no secret there were hurt feelings and bruised egos due to the way he had championed Major General Creswell. While rumor had it that the General was not likely to apologize to anyone for his new appointment or his actions, the Secretary of the Navy was in a purely political position.

"Good evening everyone. I hope tonight holds many more treats than tricks, but knowing all of the people in this room anything is possible. I would like to take a very brief moment to introduce you all to someone I have come to know well in the recent weeks, the Judge Advocate General, Major General Gordon Creswell." There was polite applause as the General stood up from his table. While Mac wanted to dislike him, he held himself as a proud Marine, and it struck a chord with her. Noting his costume, she hid a smile behind her quickly raised mask.

Harm noticed the smirk before she could hide it however. "What's so funny Mac?"

"Remember when you said that Marines weren't made to be JAG's and I told you how the very first JAG was a Marine?" At his nod she continued. "Apparently the General has decided to make a statement of his own tonight. He is dressed as Colonel William Butler Remey, USMC and the first JAG of the Navy."

"And you think...?"

"I think he is reminding everyone in this room that while it may appear the Navy gave him this position, he is still a Marine and will conduct himself as such." Mac had to admire the subtlety and daring of the costume. While not everyone in the room would get the point, those who mattered absolutely did.

Following the meal Vareese's band switched from quiet dinner music to dance tunes. After taking several turns around the dance floor with male members of the staff, Mac found herself in Harm's arms. They had long ago left their masks at the table, and she was now free to simply look into his eyes.

"Did I happen to tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Mmmm, if you did I think I must have missed it. Or maybe I was just to busy staring at you and it went right over my head," she said with a smile. She brushed her fingertips across the leather of his collar and the soft wool of the turtleneck underneath.

Pulling her closer with the hand at her waist, but still maintaining a distance proper for two officers, he leaned in to whisper "You are the most beautiful, sexy woman I have ever seen."

Mac blushed, from both his words and the feel of his breath on her earlobe. Deciding turn about was fair play, she turned her face slightly to whisper back, "Thank you. I'm glad you like it, since I wanted to wear it for you."

Harm pulled back a bit at her honesty, but only far enough to look her full in the face. Her expression was completely open, and he couldn't feel any of the walls she used to put up. Truth be told they had been coming down slowly for the last few months, but this was the first time they were gone completely. The urge to kiss her was intense, and somewhere in the back of his brain he was cursing everyone around them. Instead he had to swallow hard and simply squeeze her hand. She gave him an understanding smile.

Swirling about the dance floor, the song ended and after applauding they turned back toward their table. It was getting late, closer to the witching hour than anyone wanted to admit, and Harm made his way toward the entrance to collect their capes. Just as he handed their tickets to the attendant, he felt a familiar chill run up his spine.

Back at their table Mac had felt it too. Turning toward the large French doors leading to the patio, she could see Lt. Darcy Lee standing outside, her ghostly hand pressed against the glass. Mac instantly turned to look in Harm's direction and noticed him looking at her. Communicating without words he followed her gaze.

Harm didn't understand why the woman would still be appearing, as her body had been recovered. Watching Mac suddenly move toward the doors he decided it wasn't a moment for questions. He grabbed their coats from the waiting attendant and turned to push through the thickening crowd. When he got near their table Mac was no where in sight.

TBC...

* * *

_A/N: It is a conscious decision to not put any teasers at the end of this chapter. I just can't find any way to do it. But know that the final chapter is done, and I will post it within the next 24 hours._

* * *

In case people like to visualize as I do, I tried to post links to the sites I used, but the net won't let me. So I'll try to put down my search method. 

The St. Regis Hotel: go to "www. st regis .com" (all one word, no spaces, site won't let me write it correctly) and click on Washington DC

Van Helsing Pictures (Anna's dress is shown well about halfway down): Van Helsing into Yahoo and a "JoBlo" site will come up that has awesome pictures.

Hope it's ok for me to post these in here. I don't own any part of either site, and only use them for reference.


	9. Chapter 9

Reaching Out – Chapter 9   
Author: Arian   
Rating: PG13   
Disclaimers: Don't own them, and after several fabulous episodes this season, I can live with that. Until DPB throws another wrench in the works, then I'll try to hijack them.

A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone again for the support. I would also like to take just a second to say thank you to all of the amazing writers that share with us on a regular basis. While this is not my first fic, it reminds me how much time and effort it takes to write a story. Thanks for the great reviews Maria, Mari, Little Eirtae, lumosgirl03, SarahRabb705, zoomie, Navy Babe, Jackia, maidenpride21, guitarvixen (I hear ya, I just took down my pumpkin lights yesterday :), aserene (whoo hoo, I agree about a scruffy Rabb), and froggy0319 (thanks for continually reviewing and for all of the encouragement.)

* * *

October 30th   
St. Regis Hotel   
923 16th and K St. NW   
2351 EST

Mac didn't even pause. As she saw the ghost of Lt. Lee turn and move away from the window, she knew she couldn't lose her. The woman hadn't moved on to the next phase of life for a reason; something was still holding her here. Scared she would disappear completely, Mac quickly made her way to the patio doors and stepped out into the cold night air.

The just-past-full moon hung in the sky, casting deep shadows around the patio. Glimpsing Lt. Lee moving along the side of the hotel toward the back, Mac took off after her. Turning the corner, Mac stepped around the low balustrade lining the patio and looked into a utility parking lot. She stepped onto the pavement and out of the light from the windows just as Harm came out of the ballroom.

Seeing a red flash toward the back of the building, Harm took off. It was extremely cold for an October night in DC, and he could almost see his breath in the air. He couldn't understand why she hadn't waited for him, and the thought of losing her in the darkness quickened his pace even further. Reaching the parking lot in the rear, he couldn't see Mac anywhere. What he did notice sent a chill down his spine. A long alleyway split off from the open space, and he could hear footsteps at a running pace moving away from him.

'This has to be the darkest alley in DC!' Mac thought as she made her way around a dumpster. As if in response to her wariness, the misty woman in front of her turned and beckoned. Knowing Harm had to be right behind her, she plunged into the darkness after the spirit.

As Harm ran across the lot he juggled their coats to pull his gun from his waistband. Something about this situation did not sit well with him, and the fact that he couldn't see Mac ahead in the darkness unsettled him further. Suddenly the sounds in the close space changed. He slowed his steps, trying for silence. And silence was what he heard. Mac's footsteps no longer beat against the pavement. Suddenly he heard the tearing of fabric and it spurred him once again to motion.

What he saw ahead in the faint light from the next street made his stomach clench. Mac was struggling with a man dressed completely in black. Their arms were locked together and while normally she wouldn't have had a problem taking down someone twice her size, the train attached to her wrist was encumbering her movements.

Time slowed. He saw the man's leg come out and reach under Mac's, tripping her sideways. Using her dress to his advantage, he managed to turn her around and get and arm across her chest, while reaching behind him for a sick looking blade. Harm knew he had to do something, had to help her somehow.

At the same time Mac had only one thought in her head. 'Don't let him turn you toward the street. He wants you to see the escape to freedom when you die, he won't do it until them. Use his pattern against him.' So instead of struggling to get free she turned into him, spinning them away from the opening to the street. It was then she caught sight of Harm silently making his way toward them.

Taking a deep breath, Harm tried to gauge the situation. The killer now had his knife in hand, and was struggling to turn Mac away from him. Fighting with everything she had, she managed to turn back in the direction she had come, catching Harm's eye. There was no fear in her gaze, only determination and longing. Her bravery caught at his heart.

"Things just aren't going your way this time, are they?" he spoke aloud. The killer spun around but maintained his grip on Mac, now bringing the knife to her throat. She stopped struggling, realizing the outcome of the situation would depend on Harm's quick wit and silver tongue.

"This one can't look like the others now. You've got a witness and a compromised crime scene." Harm was trying to speak calmly, but the sight of the knife near her neck was unhinging him.

"What makes you think that will stop me?" With a cruel smile the man moved the knife slightly against her neck, and Mac gasped as the smooth edge of the blade bit into her skin. She swallowed and took a deep breath, staring into Harm's eyes. She drew strength from them and blinked calmly to let him know she was ok.

Harm got her message. "So who were they to you? Stacey, Darcy, Amanda. Girlfriends? Someone you wanted and couldn't have?"

"Sluts, that's what they were." The man snarled. A streetlight behind him flickered on and while the alleyway remained dark, it was just enough for Harm to make out his features. The man looked familiar, and after struggling to place him for a second, Harm suddenly realized it was one of the waiters from the party.

"So you could have them? Did have them?" Harm just wanted to keep him talking. They had been brought here and Mac had been placed in danger for a reason. He needed to find out that reason.

"I wouldn't have touched them with a ten foot pole." He backed away from Harm a little, and put more pressure on the weapon at Mac's throat. She winced and gritted her teeth, but didn't make a sound.

"But you did touch them. You held them as you killed them. Just like you're holding her right now." Harm knew he was taking a chance by challenging the man, and as he took a step closer fear settled heavily into his chest. The man's eyes were completely wild, and Harm could see madness in them that made the situation highly unpredictable. He tightened his hold on his sidearm, hoping it wouldn't come down to him firing in Mac's general direction.

"Well I guess we have to endure some things in life to make the world a better place." Suddenly the man's voice changed, taking on a whining, pleading note. "You don't understand, they were just like her. She," and he shook Mac with his arm, "is just like HER!"

Harm didn't know what to do. A single drop of blood dripped down her neck and settled in her collarbone. Waiting for the right moment, he knew he had to keep the madman talking. He wanted to cry out 'like who?' but instead settled for something unthreatening. "How do you know they are?"

"Because they do the same thing. And if I didn't kill them they would probably have brats of their own and then leave them. Just like she did. She didn't care about me and Dad. Instead she turned to one of her own. Like the slut she was, she left us to run off with another officer. My 'mother' didn't love us, and it broke his heart. I grew up without a real mother because she fraternized. Isn't fraternizing something you're supposed to do with the enemy? Of course it is." During the man's rambling, Harm was moving closer. "Don't you come any nearer!!! Don't you see? Women shouldn't be in the service because they can't keep their damn legs closed! I watched them all. I watched them smile and laugh their fake little laughs because the man they were with wore a uniform. Well I'm not going to let it happen again. She won't leave ME AGAIN!!!"

Mac had stopped listening long ago. She could get the cliff notes from Harm later. Instead she closed her eyes and focused her awareness on every movement the man holding her made. As he screamed into the sky at the injustice of his life she felt the blade at her neck inch away minutely. Realizing if she made the wrong move she would be dead, she opened her eyes and looked at Harm for only an instant.

He watched as she looked at him and began to move. Her neck and head pushed down to her chest, onto the blade and then whipped back into the man's face. The man's arms loosened further in shock from the head butt giving her room to elbow him in the head and step hard into his instep. Spinning out of his grip she sank low, and thankful of her loose skirts swept his feet out from under him. The man went down hard, smashing his head on the wall of the alley and coming to rest in a motionless heap.

Keeping his aim trained on the waiter, Harm moved to help Mac from her crouched position. Putting an arm around her waist, he heard movement at the end of the alley and saw police rushing into the area. The man's final scream had alerted everyone within a block radius that something wasn't right. Keeping his vigilant stance until he was sure the man was secured, he turned to look at her.

Feeling his gaze she lifted hers from the man at their feet to Harm's face. Her hair was completely disheveled, falling out of the pins that held it in place, and her face was smudged from struggling with the maniac. What pained him the most was the cut across her throat, which had been made deeper by her defensive actions. While still only a flesh wound, it dripped blood down her neck and he grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket to hold against it. She winced and then smiled at him before they were overwhelmed by agents.

* * *

0238 EST

Mac sat quietly in a lobby chair, watching the activity around her. Harm was near the front desk speaking with several NCIS agents, including Kate Todd. She heard a chair shift next to her and turned to meet the gaze of her new commanding officer.

"Colonel MacKenzie, I hear that you disarmed and took Mr. Connors out by yourself. Have you received medical attention yet?" The man's open and frank gaze took her by surprise.

Nodding slightly, then realizing she was addressing a Major General and a Marine she nodded again more sharply. The motion caused the bandage at her neck to pull, but maintained her eye contact. "Yes, sir."

"Good. What you did tonight it a testament to your training and your courage. You're a good Marine, Colonel. I can't wait to see what you can do in the courtroom." His understated smile surprised her. "Commander, what can you tell us?"

Mac had missed Harm's approach, and he now stood stiffly in front of them. "Sir, Mr. Connor's mother was in the Navy. His father was not in the service, and apparently resented his wife's involvement in the military. After the marriage collapsed, Connors' father poisoned his mind, telling him that his mother left them for another officer. The lie was unfortunately reinforced when after several years Connors' mother married a fellow Marine in a different chain of command.

At the breakup of the marriage, his father started drinking heavily, and it eventually killed him. Somehow Connors believed his father died of a broken heart caused by his allegedly philandering mother. NCIS has pulled her service record, and there is no mention of any impropriety. Ensign Rice, Petty Officer Holmes and Lieutenant Lee were last seen with male members of their unit. It's assumed that Connors saw them, believed they were fraternizing just like his mother supposedly had and he snapped. NCIS is looking to see if they can link any other murders to the case." Harm delivered the report without looking at Mac. The entire situation revolved around the concept of conduct unbecoming and fraternization, the very core of Mac's apprehension about working with the General.

General Creswell cocked his head slightly. "And apparently he saw you tonight, and believed the same thing of the Colonel. How did you end up outside in the alley?"

Mac's stomach clenched at the implication, and wondered quickly how to explain that she had visions on a regular basis that ended up assisting her. Deciding to bypass the topic completely she simply stated, "Gut feeling, sir."

"I see. And do you act on these gut feelings on a regular basis Colonel?"

"Sometimes sir. I believe it is what makes me a good lawyer." She lifted her chin defiantly.

Harm had been proud of her courage in the alley, and was a little shocked at it now. When he saw the General's eyes narrow, he mentally prepared himself for the ass-chewing about to be delivered to his Marine.

"I see. Carry on." With that he stood and left the lobby, surprising them both. Mac let out a pent up breath and turned to Harm.

"How am I supposed to take that? He almost came right out and said we gave the impression of impropriety, and then just accepts my gut feeling as a reason for rash action?" She was bewildered and completely thrown off balance by the man's reaction.

"I'm not sure Mac. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. But can I suggest that we get you home?" Holding out her cape, he placed it over her shoulders and guided her out of the hotel.

* * *

Mac's Apartment Parking Lot   
Georgetown   
0312 EST

"So what about the knife? It was a military issue blade, where did he get that?" Mac was still trying to find any holes in the case against Connors in order to make it air tight in the end. She wanted to make sure the man spent a very very long time in prison getting the help he needed.

"It is, but we're not sure where it came from. The boots either. Online site, Army/Navy store who knows? The first murder seems to have been spontaneous, so it's unlikely he planned to frame the Marines. Maybe he just liked combat boots and carried a knife. Could be it made sense to him to have Marine gear since his mother was Navy. I'm not really sure. But it's a good thing the case doesn't have to hinge on circumstantial evidence like a Marine issue knife." Harm pulled the vehicle into her parking lot and put it into park.

"True. And it's really all just speculation at this point anyway until Connor's wakes up and makes a statement. I'm just glad it's over." Slipping out of the car Mac suddenly felt a little dizzy. While her training had kept her together up to this point, coming home had cast everything in sharp relief. Grabbing on to the side of the Lexus, she closed her eyes quickly to clear her head. Walking around the vehicle to help her out, Harm watched her shake her head and was immediately at her side.

"You ok Marine?" He grabbed on to both of her arms to steady her, and was relieved when she looked up at him.

"Yeah, just a little overwhelmed. Give me a minute." She closed her eyes, and with her disheveled hair and bandaged neck she looked vulnerable and lost. Harm quickly pulled her into his arms. She shuddered a little bit, and then wrapped her arms around him.

Holding her close, he worried but didn't push her. After a while she began to pull away. "Sorry Harm, I just got a little dizzy. Not such a tough Marine after all, huh?"

He kept his hold on her arms and pulled back enough to look into her eyes. "Mac, I have never been more proud of anyone than I was when you took that creep out. You always say you can take care of yourself, and you sure as hell did." She smiled a bit at that. "But let me tell you, if you EVER do anything crazy like that again I don't know what I'll do. For a second I thought you were saying goodbye with that look you gave me."

She shrugged and frowned. "I knew it could go wrong, so maybe I was. But I had to take the chance. I couldn't let him kill anymore women. Are you mad?" She looked up at him calmly, with her head tipped to the side. The adrenaline still in his system made him hyper-alert to the way her chest expanded with each breath she took, the way her soft hair trailed across his hands on her shoulders, and the way the remaining moonlight highlighted her skin.

"No. I was just scared of losing you. And I'm tired of being scared of it." With that he lowered his head to claim her lips.

While in the middle of the dance floor he had wanted to kiss her out of passion, there were so many more feelings involved now. He kissed her with the fear he had felt seeing her in Connors' grip, with the relief he knew when she was safely back in his arms. Sliding his hands up to cup her face, he tried to show her how much he loved her, and how much he didn't ever want to lose her.

She felt all of it, his fear, relief, anger and passion. And movement for movement she matched it with her own. Somewhere in the very back of her mind a tiny voice reminded her that things would get very complicated with their new CO, that this evening should have shown her the danger of getting involved. But the love she felt in his kiss drove that voice out of her head. She simply didn't care, because this was right. Of everything in the world, this was absolutely right. And she was ready for it.

Breaking apart only slightly, she smiled up at him. "Happy Halloween Harm." He chuckled softly, and kissed her lightly on the nose. Slipping his arm under her coat and around her waist, they both turned to walk towards her building. As they approached the door, they caught a movement in the shadows. Turning as one, they met the gaze of the woman standing before them. Lieutenant Darcy Lee smiled softly and placed her hand over her heart in a silent thank you. As she faded into the night, Harm and Mac snapped a smart salute to the fallen officer.

"I guess it's finally over." Harm mused as Mac unlocked the front door.

Turning to take his hand she looked up at him. "Maybe. I prefer to think that it's finally starting." With a smile of her own she drew him past the jack-o-lanterns on the stoop and into the building.

The End.


End file.
